Describe the characteristics of the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and Miguel Cabrera in Oaxaca en la historia y en el mito's Colonial Panel.
The image of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648–1695) and Miguel Mateo Maldonado Cabrera (1695–1768) fills the center of the colonial panel. Note that Sor Juana died in 1695, the same year that Miguel Cabrera was born. Cabrera nevertheless painted a renowned portrait of Sor Juana. And if you look closely, you'll see that García Bustos imagined that he was able to do it with some angelic help.
Both Sor Juana and Miguel Cabrera were famous in the colony of Nueva España and Spain. Miguel Cabrera was born in what is now called the state of Oaxaca and became famous for his rendering of Sor Juana, the Virgin of Guadalupe, pictured below and many other Baroque pieces.Sor Juana wrote a play that was performed in Antequera (Oaxaca) on November 25, 1691, the Feast of Santa Catarina, in the cathedral. The play is called a villancico  (at the time a type of play often with audience participation and now the word means a Christmas carol). The play touched on beauty, wisdom and love. It celebrated Christianity and feminine wisdom and included Greek and Roman references as well as references to Cleopatra. The play, not necessarily the life of Saint Catherine, has many parallels with the life of Sor Juana. Saint Catherine is portrayed as precocious; and is devoted to God. She passes the challenge of wise men, as Sor Juana did in the vice regal court. St Catherine is considered the patron saint of academics so we can see why Sor Juana's, an intellectual, was drawn to her story. We can also see why Sor Juana, with her diverse knowledge and skills is appreciated by many Mexicans and is honored on currency and in other ways.
Once again, we see Arturo García Bustos' realistic approach to painting. This time in the sense that he chose to paint an image of Sor Juana that is almost a carbon copy of the original portrait by Cabrera.If you are wondering why the artist included an angel, an explanation is that Sor Juana died the same year that Miguel Cabrera was born.  Without an angel, how would Cabrera know what Sor Juana looked like?
Miguel Mateo Maldonado Cabrera (1695–1768) Arturo García Bustos Oaxaca Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Mexica villancico Baroque Juana Inés de la Cruz colonial Antequera center Nueva España