Escudo de Monja (Nun's Coat of Arms)

Francisco Martinez was a Nuovohispano (New Spain) painter, born in Mexico around the year 1692. He was considered a successful active professional, creating numerous artworks experimenting with Baroque, religious themes, and decorative work, commissioned by other high-profile individuals and cathedrals, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico. His technical and artistic mastery earned him important projects such as the cathedral’s monumental main altar pieces for around 28,000 Mexican pesos, as well as contracting and designing the main retable found in the church of Regina Coeli in 1754. He was actively collaborating with other artist peers from Mexico City, establishing a new painting academy where he publicly wanted to advocate for the liberal status of visual arts, before passing away in 1758. The artwork titled Escudo de Monja (Nun’s Coat of Arms) gained recognition during the 18th century, as it was executed on a copper plate (whose production was quite limited), along with oil painting, measuring 19.5 by 19.7 centimeters. In this artwork, the central composition consists of the Immaculate Conception crowned by the Holy Trinity, while surrounded by other holy figures such as Saint Joachim, Saint Teresa of Ávila, Saint Dominic, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Anne, and Saint Joseph. Additionally, the inclusion of bright red and gold hues complements the artwork with sentiments of devoted faith, spirituality, and social prestige for religious women.