Tracing Mexico's Shifting Cultural Identity through Print Media: Los Mexicanos Pintados Por Sí Mismos (1855)

This book belongs to the costumbrismo literary genre, which was born in the 19th century and was popular in Mexico. Before costumbrismo became popular in Mexico, there were casta paintings, which portrayed Mexican life in colonial times during the 18th century. Casta paintings often portrayed ordinary, mixed-race Mexicans in a negative light. They showed mixed-race Mexicans as poor, with tattered clothing, and kept filthy. Also, casta paintings also presented a racialized hierarchical system in Mexico.  After Mexico’s independence was achieved in 1821, the casta genre shifted into costumbrismo. The costumbrismo genre painted portraits of Mexicans in a more positive light, which is shown in the book. This was done to help Mexicans build a sense of pride. An example of this in the book is in every portrait that portrays the individuals in the portrait as strong and firm figures like the “Aguador” (Water Carrier). Also, after Mexico gained independence, legislation was passed to stop racial discrimination. Race was still depicted in costumbrismo, but not in a hierarchical way: instead, it was shown in a unifying sense and painted with a strong sense of nationalism.

I find this interesting how a culture took an art form that was used to slander their image to form pride and family imagery for them. Images in the book show various Mexicans in a positive and prideful light. The book is a piece of political literature, because the portraits and stories behind them help build a Nationalist sense of pride. During the time the book was created the political atmosphere of Mexico was unstable which led to a small market for costumbrismo to capitalize on to help ease the tensions and stabilize the people to unite under one government. Costumbrismo helped make various characters in Mexican culture visible to the nation as a whole. Costumbrismo became a voice for some of the unheard in Mexico at the time, and help build a national identity for Mexico.

The book was produced in 1855 meaning that it was released during Benito Jaurez's Mexico. Mexico is in shambles because recently the Mexican-American war 1846-1848 occurred if so recall Mexico lost massive gains of land. Santa Anna resigned from being in power in 1855 due to massive opposition. This developed a need for a change of government by the Mexican people, and many Mexican people were fractured and had different views of their citizenship. Then the Liberal Party came into power and started an era of "la Reforma".The Liberal party limited the power of the Catholic Church and the Military. Also tried to make Civil society and capitalist economy like in North America." The Ley Juárez (Juarez's Law) of 1855, for example, abolished special clerical and military privileges and declared all citizens equal before the law. In 1857 the liberals promulgated a new federalist constitution. Juárez became Chief Justice and Vice-President of Mexico, under moderate (moderate) president Ignacio Comonfort."(www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry Benito Juarez) Eventually though Mexico would soon find itself in   conflict with France in 1862.

• Full Title: Frías Y Soto, Hilarión. Los Mexicanos Pintados Por Sí Mismos. Reproducción Facsim. De La Ed. De 1855. ed. Documentos Mexicanos. México: Librería De M. Porrúa, 1974.
• Publisher: M.Murguia y Comp.,Portal Del Aguila De Oro
• Place of Publication: Portal Del Aguila De Oro, Mexico City 
• Object Type: Book with lithography
• Object Genre: Costumbrismo literature

• Dimensions: 5.39 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches