Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz facts for kids

Morlete Ruiz, The Heart of Mary

Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (born 1713 in San Miguel de Allende, died 1770 in Mexico City) was an important Mexican painter from the 1700s. He is most famous for his "casta paintings." These paintings showed different groups of people in colonial Mexico based on their family backgrounds.

Early Life and Career

Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz was born in 1713 in San Miguel de Allende, a city in Mexico. He painted at the same time as another famous artist named Miguel Cabrera. Both artists were very important for "casta painting." They created many ideas and styles that influenced this type of art for many years.

Like many artists in Colonial New Spain (which is what Mexico was called back then), Morlete Ruiz was part of a special painting school. This school was started in the mid-1700s. Being a member of this academy helped Morlete Ruiz become well-known among the important Spanish people in Mexico. Records show that important leaders, like the Viceroy (a ruler who governed for the King of Spain), asked him to create paintings. These leaders included Carlos Francisco De Croix and Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa.

Understanding Casta Paintings

Morlete Ruiz's paintings are very important to the history of Mexican art. He was one of the first artists to use common features in "casta paintings" during the 1700s. These paintings often showed families with different backgrounds.

In his casta paintings, you could learn a lot about the people just by looking at their clothes, hair, and what was around them. His paintings often showed Spanish men as the main figures in the families. He also used how people stood or looked to show feelings and ideas that were thought to come from different family mixes.

Other Artistic Works

Besides his famous casta paintings, Morlete Ruiz also painted local plants and animals. He especially liked to paint fruits. This was a popular style at the time, called "exoticism." It helped show people in Spain the rich natural beauty of the "New World" (the Americas).

His paintings often used strong color differences and sharp details. The way he placed figures in his art shows that he was influenced by genre painting. This style of painting, popular in places like the Netherlands and Flanders, focused on scenes from everyday life.

Where to See His Art

Today, you can see some of Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz's paintings in museums. These include the LA County Museum of Art in the United States and the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City.

See also

• Mexican art

In Spanish: Juan Patricio Morlete para niños

Images for kids

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  1771 Paintings Oil on canvas Framed

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  1760 Paintings Oil on canvas Gift of the 2011 Collectors Committee.