Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

What it is

This is an oil painting of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz made by Fray Miguel de Herrera in 1732, decades after her death in 1695. It shows her in a dark nun's habit with a white collar and sleeves, holding a small red box, with an oval image near her chest showing the Virgin Mary reading with an angel, and a Spanish inscription at the upper left.

Why it matters

Because it was painted well after Sor Juana's death, this portrait is not a direct likeness but an image created to honor her memory as a learned nun and writer. It is one of the earliest surviving painted portraits of her and helped shape how later generations pictured her, combining the identity of scholar and devoted religious woman.

Look closer

• What details in the painting emphasize Sor Juana's religious life, and what might emphasize her learning?
• Why do you think the artist included the small scene of the Virgin Mary reading?
• Since this was painted after her death, what choices might the artist have made about how to represent her?