Adopted Saints: Christian Images In Nahua Testaments Of Late Colonial Toluca

Abstract

The European occupation of Mesoamerica, set in motion by Columbus' voyages now almost five centuries ago, proved both enduring and pervasive. Not content simply to trade with the indigenous peoples from distant coastal forts or entirely new towns, the Spanish conquerors of Mexico moved right into Indian cities and, increasingly over time, Indian towns, villages, and their hinterlands. The conquerors' intention behind living in such close proximity was to better extract the local peoples' services and tributes and to convert them more effectively to every aspect of Hispanic culture. From the moment of their arrival Hernando Cortés and his followers sought to introduce a new king, a new god, and a new way of life into the land they called New Spain.

La casada imperfecta: A Woman, A Print, and the Inquisition

“…49 Wills and inventories reveal that women of more modest means, from natives to Creoles, also purchased holy images in all media. 50 Although no other examples of female patrons of printed images have emerged from the archival record, inscribed messages on holy prints demonstrate that both sexes sponsored the production of religious engravings. 51 Like the paintings and sculptures, these images were displayed in homes where they reminded their viewers of the stories of the faith.…”