Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

What it is

This is an oil painting made in 1772 by the painter Andrés de Islas. It shows a nun in a black veil and white habit seated at a desk with a quill pen, inkwell and open book, with bookshelves and a red curtain behind her, and a small oval medallion with a religious scene on her chest.

Why it matters

The painting was made long after Sor Juana's death and reflects how later generations in colonial New Spain wanted to remember her — not simply as a nun, but as a serious scholar and writer. Images like this helped shape the lasting idea of Sor Juana as a learned woman of the Church.

Look closer

• What objects surround her, and what do they suggest about how the painter wanted her to be seen?
• Why might an artist working decades after her death choose to paint her this way?
• What does the image leave out about her life and struggles?