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The Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies  is pleased to co-sponsor a gallery talk at the Fowler Museum featuring Professor of Art History and Chicana/o and Central American Studies and Associate Director of the Chicano Studies Research Center Charlene Villaseñor Black and Lilly Endowment Curator of Art and Religion Patrick A. Polk. Illuminating commentary on the exhibition Descanse en Paz: Memorial Paintings from 19th-Century Mexico will be paired with light refreshments in the courtyard.

This exhibition highlights two popular genres of 19th-century Mexican painting commemorating family members who no longer reside in the household— offering them a lasting presence in the home. The first intimately portrays deceased individuals in likenesses imbued with grief and tender remembrance. The subjects—often children—are shown full of life: some appear with toys in hand; others rest in peace (descanse en paz). The second genre is the uniquely Mexican monja coronada or “crowned nun” portrait. Images of flower-adorned “Brides of Christ” were commissioned by the families of women who took Catholic ecclesiastical vows and permanently embarked on cloistered lives.

The event will take place on Friday, October 25 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. All are welcome to attend. For more information and to RSVP, please click here. To visit this event’s page, please click here.