Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

What it is

This painting by Miguel Cabrera, dated 1750, shows a woman in a black veil and white habit seated at a table, holding a rosary and a medallion, with an open book, quill, inkwell, and shelves of books behind her. It is held at the Museo Nacional de Historia in Mexico.

Why it matters

Painted more than fifty years after Sor Juana's death, this portrait shows how later generations imagined and honored her as a scholar and writer. The books, quill, and ink surrounding her emphasize her identity as an intellectual, something unusual for how women were portrayed at the time.

Look closer

• Why might Cabrera have included so many books and writing tools around her?
• What does the rosary and habit tell you about her religious life, alongside her intellectual one?
• Since Cabrera never met her, what choices might he have made in imagining her appearance?