Castas paintings

Definition

Castas paintings were a genre of artwork produced during the Spanish colonial period in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Peru. These paintings depicted mixed-race individuals and families arranged in a hierarchical manner, reflecting the social hierarchies and racial classifications that existed within the Spanish colonies.

Related terms

Peninsulares: Refers to people who were born in Spain but lived in the Spanish colonies. They held the highest social status.

Mestizos: Individuals of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. They occupied an intermediate position within colonial society.

Mulattos: People of mixed African and European descent. In terms of social hierarchy, they were placed below mestizos but above those with greater African ancestry.