From Mestizo and from Indian; Coyote 1763

Miguel Cabrera painted this oil on canvas in 18th century Mexico, capturing a family unit that embodies the colonial social hierarchy. Here, we witness the "Coyote" family, a father of mixed Mestizo and Indigenous heritage, alongside his Indigenous wife and their children. Note the father’s gaze; it is both direct and knowing. He stands beside a donkey laden with goods, a visual cue connecting him to labor and the New World economy. Observe the youngest child, adorned with a crown of feathers, a vestige of Indigenous royalty juxtaposed against the reality of colonial subjugation. This echoes the complexities of cultural syncretism, where symbols of power are reimagined within a new social order. Consider how such depictions served a dual purpose: documenting the racial mixing while reinforcing a social hierarchy. The act of naming and categorizing, of visually defining these racial blends, became a tool for control. We see a dance between the conscious desire for order and the subconscious anxieties of a society in flux, a potent reminder of how images shape our understanding of the world.