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

Niccolò Tornioli (1598 - 1651)
Niccolò Tornioli
1598 - 1651
Jacob Grimmer (1525 - 1590)
Jacob Grimmer
1525 - 1590
Jacopo Confortini (1602 - 1672)
Jacopo Confortini
1602 - 1672
Giotto di Bondone (1267 - 1337)
Giotto di Bondone
1267 - 1337
Erhard Altdorfer (1480 - 1561)
Erhard Altdorfer
1480 - 1561
Enea Vico (1523 - 1567)
Enea Vico
1523 - 1567
Domenico Campagnola (1500 - 1564)
Domenico Campagnola
1500 - 1564
Baccio Bandinelli (1493 - 1560)
Baccio Bandinelli
1493 - 1560
Fra Angelico (1397 - 1455)
Fra Angelico
1397 - 1455
Prospero Fontana (1512 - 1597)
Prospero Fontana
1512 - 1597
Gregor Erhart (1465 - 1540)
Gregor Erhart
1465 - 1540
Antonio Campi (1524 - 1587)
Antonio Campi
1524 - 1587
Giovanni Paolo Grazzini (XVI century - 1632)
Giovanni Paolo Grazzini
XVI century - 1632
Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527 - 1609)
Hans Vredeman de Vries
1527 - 1609
Sforza di Marcantonio (XVI century - 1581)
Sforza di Marcantonio
XVI century - 1581
Gilles Corrozet (1510 - 1568)
Gilles Corrozet
1510 - 1568