The father seems to be on his way in or out, since he is wearing street
clothes, a cape, and a hat. It is interesting to note the evocation of
social roles in this painting. The woman is clearly assigned to the domestic
sphere. Her dress, comportment, and positioning connect her to the work
of cleaning, cooking, and managing life inside the home. On the other hand,
the man certainly does not belong in the kitchen, his place is in the public
sphere. He appears to be just stopping in before continuing with his duties.
While his clothing does not suggest wealth, he is well turned-out and seems
to be a business man of some standing. We see clearly in this painting
what was probably a common gender role assignment for merchant or working
class families in colonial New Spain.
The second painting offers an important example of the emphasis on classification described in the introduction. A number of fruits and vegetables appear at the bottom of the painting and are cataloged in the top left. This meticulous cataloging of fruits and vegetables native to New Spain within the classifying Casta Paintings may represent either the Enlightenment ideals behind the painting or the souvenir value of the paintings. The attention to detail certainly points to Enlightenment preoccupation with scientific reasoning. It may also have helped Spaniards returning to Spain remember the new foods and flora that they encountered in America.
Mestiso
Morisco
Spaniards
thought of most castas as deviant, uncontrollable, and dangerous, they
reserved a special distaste for people of African heritage. This strong
prejudice could be the result of Spain's long struggle against the Moors
of Northern Africa during the conquest and reconquest of Spain between
700 and 1492 CE or it could be linked to the slave trade. In Spain, having
Moorish or Jewish blood prevented access to schools, religious fraternities,
and public office. The Moors were seen as uncivilized, violent, and evil
(Despite the fact that Moorish architecture and learning during the Reconquest
of Spain far surpassed that of the Spanish). This stereotype could easily
have carried over into the New World. Also, and perhaps more likely, the
assumption that people of African descent had been or were slaves probably
added to the Spanish prejudice against people of African descent. 