Mexican Anonymous
The First Portrait of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, 1673
Unidentified artist
New Spain (Mexico), 1673
Oil on copper
Inscription “Ætatis sua 25”
New Spain (Mexico), 1673
Oil on copper
Inscription “Ætatis sua 25”
11.5 x 9 cm
Provenance
Provenance: Private collection, Spain
This previously unpublished portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz undoubtedly stands as the only known preserved work painted of the poet during her lifetime, and in all likelihood the one to which so much research, and so many theories about Sor Juana, have alluded, in the search for the real face of the most celebrated representative of New Spanish literature.
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