Art & Art History ETDs

Publication Date

Fall 12-14-2024

Abstract

This research examines the visual and textual representations of Indigenous women in colonial New Spain and early independent Mexico (1521–1830), revealing how these images evolved alongside dynamic colonial political, social, and cultural shifts. Through an analysis of codices, portraits, and other material culture, this study demonstrates how colonial authorities, artists, and patrons manipulated these depictions to serve wider colonial agendas, from evangelization to social stratification. These representations often used Indigenous women as symbols, rather than as individual subjects, to reinforce hierarchical colonial structures, shape racial and gender identities, and support efforts to ‘civilize’ the native population. By focusing on pivotal moments, such as the fall of Tenochtitlan, the end of the Hapsburg period, the Bourbon Reforms, and early post-independence, this work highlights the shifting narratives surrounding Indigenous women as tools of control and assimilation within colonial society.

Each chapter demonstrates a stage of conquest and colonialism, revealing the persistent tools utilized to represent and re-represent Indigenous subjects. These patterns not only reflect perceptions of Indigenous groups but also how such representations had tangible impacts on the development of colonial society. Through this lens, these images emerge not merely as art but as complex artifacts of colonial power and cultural assimilation.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Art History

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Department of Art and Art History

First Committee Member (Chair)

Ray Hernández-Durán

Second Committee Member

Margaret A. Jackson

Third Committee Member

Aaron Fry

Keywords

Indigenous women, colonial art, portraits, representations, art history, Hapsburg, Bourbon

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