Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648 - 1695)

Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648 - 1695) - photo 1

Juana Inés de la Cruz

Juana Inés de la Cruz or Juana of Asbaje, real name Juana Inés de Asbaje Ramírez de Santillananota, was a Mexican poet, scholar, and writer of the Latin American colonial period and the Spanish Baroque, and a Jerónimo nun.

Juana Ramírez was born into a poor family (Spanish father and Creole mother) and from an early age showed a burning thirst for knowledge and giftedness, but as a woman she was almost entirely self-taught. By her teens, she had already learned Greek logic and taught Latin to young children. She also learned Nahuatl, an Aztec language spoken in Central Mexico, and wrote several short poems in the language. At the age of 16, the girl was introduced to the court, and her intelligence impressed even Viceroy Antonio Sebastian de Toledo, Marquis de Mancera, and in 1664 he invited her to serve as maid of honor.

In 1669, at the age of 21, she took her tonsure at the Convent of Santa Paula of the Hieronymite Order in Mexico City, where she remained a recluse for the rest of her life. In the convent, Sister Juana enjoyed exceptional freedom: she continued to socialize with scholars and senior members of the court, amassed one of the largest private libraries in the New World, as well as a collection of musical and scientific instruments. Her plays in verse, poetry, and compositions for state and religious festivals were frequently and successfully performed at the palace.

Sister Juana was an outstanding representative of Spain's Golden Age: she was the last significant writer of the Latin American Baroque and the first great exponent of colonial Mexican culture. Sister Juana wrote sonnets, romances, and ballads, drawing on a vast store of classical, biblical, philosophical, and mythological sources. She also composed moral, satirical, and religious texts, as well as many poems praising courtiers, but she also defended women's right to education.

At the end of her life, due to pressure from religious dogmatists, Sister Juana had to sell her extensive library of some 4,000 volumes and return to strict reclusiveness. In 1695, the plague struck the convent and, while caring for her sisters, Juana died of the disease at about the age of forty-four.

Today, Juana Inés de la Cruz is a national icon of Mexico and Mexican identity as a prominent writer of the Spanish-American colonial period. The former convent where she lived is a center of higher education, and her image adorns Mexican currency.

Date and place of birt:12 november 1648, Nepantla de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Mexico
Date and place of death:17 april 1695, México, Mexico
Period of activity: XVII century
Specialization:Monk, Philosopher, Playwright, Poet, Scientist, Writer
Genre:History painting, Lyric poetry, Religious genre
Art style:Renaissance

Creators Renaissance

Jacopo Ligozzi (1547 - 1627)
Jacopo Ligozzi
1547 - 1627
Ludwig Krug (1490 - 1532)
Ludwig Krug
1490 - 1532
Francesco Segala (1535 - 1592)
Francesco Segala
1535 - 1592
Cristoforo Majorana (XV century - XV century)
Cristoforo Majorana
XV century - XV century
Niccolò Tornioli (1598 - 1651)
Niccolò Tornioli
1598 - 1651
Francesco Laurana (1430 - 1502)
Francesco Laurana
1430 - 1502
Gaspare da Padova (? - XV century)
Gaspare da Padova
? - XV century
Paolo Uccello (1397 - 1475)
Paolo Uccello
1397 - 1475
Vincenzo Di Antonio Frediani (1481 - 1505)
Vincenzo Di Antonio Frediani
1481 - 1505
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 - 1527)
Niccolò Machiavelli
1469 - 1527
Bartolomeo di Domenico di Guido (1430 - 1521)
Bartolomeo di Domenico di Guido
1430 - 1521
Antonio Fantuzzi (1510 - 1550)
Antonio Fantuzzi
1510 - 1550
Lucas Cranach II (1515 - 1586)
Lucas Cranach II
1515 - 1586
Jean d'Ypres (XV century - 1508)
Jean d'Ypres
XV century - 1508
 Master of the Augsburg Portraits of Painters (XV century - ?)
Master of the Augsburg Portraits of Painters
XV century - ?
Jacopo da Pontormo (1494 - 1557)
Jacopo da Pontormo
1494 - 1557
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