Reproducción de una pintura de castas de Museo Nacional del Virreinato, INAH, S. XVIII
Digital print

Few artistic expressions of the colonial period have unleashed such a multiplicity of meanings and connotations as the genre of casta paintings, developed almost exclusively in Mexican territories—formerly New Spain. This genre is a contribution from these lands to the diversity of motifs represented in the art of painting. The first cycle identified so far was created by Manuel Arellano in 1711. It features independent figures who, through a combination of physiognomic, chromatic, and dress characteristics, attempt to depict Chichimecas and Mulattos. The familial composition that became part of the representational canon was coined with the series painted by Juan Rodríguez Juárez, who created one of these sets at the request of the Viceroy, Duke of Linares.

The genre saw extensive development throughout the 18th century, introducing modifications that responded to the multiplicity of purposes these sets pursued. As Ilona Katzew has noted, in the early period, casta paintings aimed to showcase the wealth and splendor of New Spain through the diversity of racial mixtures: the compositions portray Spaniards, Mulattos, Moriscos, and other races in a similar manner, within affable scenes where harmony and opulence strive to exalt the viceroyalty. Later, around 1760, there was a shift where the temperament and customs of each caste began to be depicted pejoratively, highlighting the virtues and good habits of white-skinned individuals while exposing the vices and violent behaviors attributed to those with dark skin.

Apart from their racial and classificatory intent, these paintings sought to depict a vast, rich, and complex world that revealed to both locals and foreigners the heterogeneity of New Spain. The representation of native flowers and fruits showcased its abundance and diversity, while the genre scenes reflected everyday life from an idealized perspective. Additionally, they portrayed social issues of the time, such as promoting breastfeeding over the use of wet nurses, drunkenness, or specific pastimes and hobbies, many of which were regulated by the crown, like the snow and tobacco monopolies or cockfighting.

Beyond the condemnatory views these paintings have often received, we must consider them from a broad and complex perspective, understanding that a wide variety of intentions and worlds shaped a unique pictorial genre, filled with nuances, contradictions, prejudices, racism, and at the same time, pride in what would eventually become the Mexican nation.

Alejandro Julián Andrade Campos

Research Professor at the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities

“Alfonso Vélez Pliego,” BUAP.