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Miguel Cabrera: The Outstanding Mexican and Spanish Artist
Introduction
One of the most notable individuals in the history of Mexican and Spanish art is Miguel Cabrera. Influenced by the evangelization of new Spanish territories in South and Central America, Cabrera produced the most famous paintings in the history of religious art. Many of the influential religious officials and churches ordered paintings from this well-known artist. Not only did he created masterpieces, but he also had an analytical mind that allowed him to dissect Our Lady of Guadalupe and determine the techniques that were used to create this painting. Amazed by the uniqueness of the employed methods and approaches, Miguel Cabrera asked permission to copy the work to create his own version. Although the copies entirely resemble the original, The Virgin of Guadalupe did not lose in quality and were not considered as mere inferior replications of the original painting. This paper will provide information about Miguel Cabrera as an artist and analyze one of the most notable works, The Virgin of Guadalupe.
About the Artist
Among the most significant figures in the history of art of New Spain and the most notable artists in Mexican history was Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera, known colloquially as Miguel Cabrera. Originally from Antequera, which is now called Oaxaca, he began his artistic career around the 1740s and, for years, maintained a workshop that specialized in the Marian theme ( Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera ). This direction in art was considered one of the largest and most important in New Spain ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). His works include the portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the four oval canvases of the transept of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City, the representations of the Stations of the Cross in the cathedral of Puebla and the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian in the temple of Santa Prisca, in Taxco ( About Miguel Cabrera ). In addition, he was the head painter of Archbishop Manuel José Rubio y Salinas, and one of the founders of the first painting academy in the 1750s in what is now Mexico. Today, he is considered one of the most significant artists in the history of Mexico and Spanish culture as a whole.
Active for much of the first two-thirds of the eighteenth century, he died in 1768. His workshop produced numerous exciting series of paintings for parish churches. For instance, that of Santa Prisca in the town of Taxco is the most exemplary ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Cabrera also painted for the religious orders, such as Franciscans, Dominicans, and especially for the Jesuits ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). His individual paintings are also notable especially his numerous canvases of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for which he is considered to be the quintessential Guadalupe painter ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Along with his religious theme painting, his facet of a portraitist was novel and attractive ( Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera ). The most significant figures of the Creole society of his time posed for him. Archbishop Rubio y Salinas, for instance, had ordered several portraits from Cabrera. Cabreras relationship with this religious figure granted him many opportunities, including the possibility to make copies of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The painter of Marian and other religious images, Cabrera, was paid tribute in 2018 in what is considered his hometown. The activity was organized by the city council of the capital, in collaboration with the Fonoteca Juan León Mariscal ( About Miguel Cabrera ). It was there where some findings of the artists life and the context of the places he lived were shared. The date of Cabreras birth was a matter of discussion, but it was emphasized that it could not have been in 1695 ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). The reason is that, considering the fact that to learn the profession of painter one had to be between 11 and 13 years old, Cabrera would have been older from 30 to 40 years old. He had to have been born between 1714 and 1716 for his artistic career to fit. This hypothesis is similar to those proposed by the National Viceroyalty Museum Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera was born between 1715 and 1720 in the city of Antequera, Oaxaca Valley and practically everything from his childhood and youth to 1739 is unknown ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). Therefore, while there are those that propose exact dates of birth, it is not known precisely when the artist was born. In general, little is known about the artists personal life, his other interests, and how he became the painter he is known to be.
It is not certain who the mentor of Cabrera was, but various opinions exist on this topic. Some claim that the Rodríguez Juárez brothers were the ones who trained Cabrera and influenced his artistic works ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). Others claim that it was Jose de Ibarra that had a significant impact on the abilities and perception of Miguel Cabrera ( Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera ). The latter artist might have trained Cabrera because many of the works of the artist are similar to paintings of Ibarra ( Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera ). For instance, both Cabrera and Ibarra painted The Virgin of Apocalypse in a similar fashion. The works of both of the painters are planar, and elements are put in a linear canvas.
About The Virgin of Guadalupe
Miguel Cabrera was the master painter of his time who made the most and the best copies of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the year 1751, the Abbot and Cabildo of the Guadalupe Sanctuary asked Miguel Cabrera, the head of the most famous painters of that time, José de Ibarra, Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz, Francisco Antonio Vallejo, José de Alzíbar and Manuel Osorio, decide whether or not the icon was the work of human making ( About Miguel Cabrera ). The study revealed that the image was made in four techniques never practiced by anyone on a surface oil, gilt, gouache and tempera carving ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Cabreras opinion, accompanied by the account of the other painters, was printed in Mexico City in 1756 ( About Miguel Cabrera ). It is the same year when The Virgin of Guadalupe by Cabrera appeared ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Therefore, it is reasonable to believe Cabrera and his disciples, José Bentura Arnaez and José de Alzíbar, painted the word using the original icon as a reference ( About Miguel Cabrera ). The painting respects the original model in everything, including the one hundred and twenty-nine rays that surround the figure. Also, Cabrera seems to have attempted to employ the same techniques that were used in producing the original work.
As the medium, Cabrera used oil on canvas as if attempting to resemble the unique technique mentioned before. In The Virgin of Guadalupe, Miguel Cabrera uses warm tones and high saturation to deliver the divinity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Cabrera). Shades of orange and yellow trace the silhouette of Mary, but Cabrera avoids contrasting those shades with the Virgin herself (Cabrera). Instead, both the clothes of Mary and the sun rays around her have the same color palette (Cabrera). This lack of contrast is employed to emphasize that sun rays are elicited by the Blessed Virgin Mary and are not induced from behind (Cabrera). Lines that resemble the sun rays are drawn in the same manner as the crown (Cabrera). This approach creates a perception as if the crown is in line with the rays. Cabrera put absolute clarity of objects within his painting of the Virgin. All elements of the painting can be easily identified upon the first gaze, and no careful examination is required to distinguish elements between each other.
All items within the work are put in a linear canvas although the angel is drawn using a similar color palette as the Virgin, he can be distinguished because of the lines. Also, the crown is depicted using clear lines rather than color (Cabrera). It would have been difficult to distinguish the crown from the sun rays without clear lines because both elements have the same color (Cabrera). Crown, in fact, is one of the few elements that were outlined with a contour line. All elements reside parallel to the place the angel is placed strictly below the Virgin, and the depth is indicated by manipulating the sizes of elements (Cabrera). Therefore, The Virgin of Guadalupe is a planar painting opposed to being recessional. It should be noted that the majority of paintings of that time were drawn this way.
While the painting consists of many individual elements, it cannot be claimed that it has multiplicity. The reason is that Cabreras usage of particular primary and complementary colors and avoidance of contrast (Cabrera). It can be seen that Cabrera primarily used adjacent colors a combination of yellow, orange, and red. Few items are colored in blue and black, but they are not emphasized using sharp contour lines (Cabrera). The result is the unified painting with elements that are placed and colored coherently. The combination of colors is favorable; the painting features high saturation, which delivers a positive message.
Influences
The contemporary territories of Mexico were the primary areas of European cultural expansion during the 17th century. Because Catholicism significantly influenced art and architecture, many of the buildings and paintings closely resembled the themes of Christianity and worship ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). Cabrera was born during these times, and therefore, was impacted by the culture he lived in ( Biography of Miguel Cabrera ). For this reason, many of the works of Cabrera are closely related to Christianity. The Virgin Mary appeared in the majority of his paintings, such as The Virgin of the Apocalypse, The Visitation, The Adoration of the Kings, The Annunciation, and The Marriage of the Virgin ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Cabreras success is partially due to the list of his clients notable persons and religious officials were the buyers of Cabreras secular and religious paintings.
It is little known of Cabreras personal qualities, but it was mentioned that Cabrera was concerned with the quality of copies of the original icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Therefore, all of the copies made by Cabrera recreated the original in the tiniest details ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Also, he played a significant role in the analysis of the icon ( About Miguel Cabrera ). While previously painters were perceived as mere individuals that draw, Cabreras examination of the icon caused a significant shift ( About Miguel Cabrera ). The status of painters gained in importance they became practitioners of liberal arts.
Religious paintings are not the only type of art Cabrera worked on. His racial background led him to work on casta paintings that portrayed interracial families ( About Miguel Cabrera ). He was a mixed Spanish-Indigenous American, which led him to become a casta painter ( About Miguel Cabrera ). In contemporary society, his casta paintings are famous and are considered the best of the genre ( About Miguel Cabrera ). Such portrayals of interracial households may have contributed to the relationships between the indigenous populations and the European visitors.
Conclusion
Miguel Cabrera is among the most important figures in the history of Spanish and Mexican art. The majority of his works were influenced by Catholicism and religious attitudes of the population that lived around him. Religious institutions and officials were his primary clients; therefore, many of his works incorporate the images of the Blessed Mary and other notable figures in the Bible. Cabrera made copies of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which are known today as The Virgin of Guadalupe. Despite the fact that they closely resemble the original work, they do not lack uniqueness. Cabrera is also known for his casta paintings, which were considered the finest of the type.
Works Cited
About Miguel Cabrera. USEUM.
Biography of Miguel Cabrera. The Biography. Web.
Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera. Peyton Wright.
Cabrera, Miguel. Virgen of Guadalupe. 1756. National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago. Google Arts & Culture.
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