Hernan Cortes

The approach of academic art of the 19th century Mexico was such that certain nuances warped the representational identities of controversial colonial figures by utilising the conventional symbols of military rank, nobility and historical legacy to monumentalise their otherwise disliked demeanor. An iconographic analysis of Jose Salome Pina's 1879, oil on canvas portrait of Hernan Cortes (a ruthless Spanish conquistador and military commander who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec empire which marked the first phase of Spanish colonisation of the American mainland) unravels this tendency of the academic practitioners of this era. The primary subject matter depicts a three-quarter length portrait of a bearded man dressed in ornate renaissance era military armor. The figure stands stiffly upright with an authoritative gaze, the rigidity in the posture denotes a status of power and command. Beside him is a table or pedestal where a plumed or crested military helmet rests, acting as an attribute of his martial profession, his elite status or lineage is also established through the integration of a heraldic element; a coat of arms. Using Panofsky's framework, the specific visual motifs directly tie to the historical identity of the Spanish conquistador. The intricate armor plate functions as the primary iconographic signifier as the decorative etching indicates a high rank and martial restraint rather than readiness for active combat which would have been detectible through a standard field armor. The Morion styled helmet which is placed aside is another distinct marker; though it was used by infantry all across Europe, its portrayal in popular culture transformed its identity as an ultimate conquistador icon. It features a rounded skull cap with a unique crescent shaped brim that points sharply upward at both front and back. The open face and no visor gave soldiers visibility and ventilation, which was crucial for hot and dry climates, while the sloped sides helped in deflecting blows downward, away from the head. As another artwork painted in the Porfirian era, Pina's portrait of Cortes, strips him off the chaotic bloodshed which he would have been typically associated with. The later 20th century muralists like Diego Rivera prefer an emphasis on grotesque or critically deformed physical traits which the iconography of Pina consciously eschews. This restrained and glorified portrayal presents him in the form of an anti-hero in the Mexican context, symbolising the ambivalent nature of 19th century Mexican culture.