Jose Joaquin Magon is a significant painter of the 18th century who contributed to the late colonial painting tradition; his style also exemplifies the mature Baroque phase of Mexican art. His most famous works are the series of Casta Paintings he produced in the late 18th century. These paintings aimed to stratify the Mexican population and promote racial hierarchy. The painting titled Español y Mestiza, producen Castiza in Spanish, translates to A Spaniard and an Indian produce a mixed child. It is one of the artworks belonging to the corpus of Casta Paintings and displays a Spaniard of the aristocratic class with his Indian wife and their mixed race child. The luxurious textiles and household ornaments depicted further amplify the racial power and status Magon is intentionally trying to establish to the audience. These paintings purported a Spain-centric social structure and cultural system to the common masses and encouraged subjugation of the minor ethnicities and races that were present in Spain at the time. Formally, Magon showcases his refined practice through the treatment of the tablecloth and drapery adorned by the three subjects in the painting. The late Baroque aesthetics are displayed as well through the dramatic light and shadow play. The painting serves both as a piece of art and a systematic archival as well, offering insight into the racial anxieties and hierarchies of 18th century colonial Mexico (New Spain). Today, Jose Joaquin Magon is considered an essential figure in the study of colonial Mexican art because his paintings reveal the intersection of religion, politics, race and identity in 18th century New Spain. His Casta paintings in particular remain invaluable historical documents that illustrate how colonial society visually constructed and categorized race.

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