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

Taddeo Zuccaro (1529 - 1566)
Taddeo Zuccaro
1529 - 1566
Benedetto Bordone (XV century - 1531)
Benedetto Bordone
XV century - 1531
Bernard Palissy (1510 - 1589)
Bernard Palissy
1510 - 1589
Lucas Cranach I (1472 - 1553)
Lucas Cranach I
1472 - 1553
Hans Brosamer (1495 - 1554)
Hans Brosamer
1495 - 1554
 L'Ortolano (1480 - 1525)
L'Ortolano
1480 - 1525
Wolfgang Mielich (XVI century - 1561)
Wolfgang Mielich
XVI century - 1561
Giacomo Raibolini (1486 - 1557)
Giacomo Raibolini
1486 - 1557
Gregorio di Cecco (1390 - 1424)
Gregorio di Cecco
1390 - 1424
Andrea Mantegna (1431 - 1506)
Andrea Mantegna
1431 - 1506
Matthäus Zasinger (1477 - 1555)
Matthäus Zasinger
1477 - 1555
Gentile Bellini (1429 - 1507)
Gentile Bellini
1429 - 1507
Jan Provoost (1465 - 1529)
Jan Provoost
1465 - 1529
Perino del Vaga (1501 - 1547)
Perino del Vaga
1501 - 1547
Gillis Claeissens (1526 - 1605)
Gillis Claeissens
1526 - 1605
Andrea del Castagno (1423 - 1457)
Andrea del Castagno
1423 - 1457
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