Final paper

Object Description Paper: Thesis Proclamation Name Institution Course Code and Title Instructor Date Object Description Paper: Thesis Proclamation Thesis Proclamation is one of the best artworks representing the finest culture of art, religion and scholarly achievement during colonial New Spain period. It is made from white silk, metal wire, and red silk on the back, using wooden block, letterpress, and engravement methods. The artifact is not only an academic illustration but it is also a spiritual devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is available at the Elisha Whittlesey Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Describing the features of the history of the Thesis Proclamation and its original purpose, and how it may be used in the present, helps in appreciating the object’s value within the art and cultural world, both in early times and today.[Peterson, J. F. (2014). Visualizing Guadalupe: From Black Madonna to Queen of the Americas. University of Texas Press; THE MET. (1756). Baltasar Troncoso Y Sotomayor | Thesis proclamation of Jose Vicente Maldonado Y Trespalacios, dedicated to the virgin of Guadalupe | The Metropolitan Museum of Art.] Object Pictureleft33782000 (THE MET, 1756) Title: Thesis Proclamation By: José Vicente Maldonado y Trespalacios Date: 1756 Materials: Woodcut, letterpress, white silk, red silk, metallic thread border Collection: Elisha Whittlesey Accession number: 46.46.559 (THE MET, 1756) Lively Object Description Thesis Proclamation object was developed by José Vicente Maldonado y Trespalacios. It was written in 1756 and it is an engaging object that ties the relation of art, religion, and identity within the context of New Spain. This work is devoted to the Virgin of Guadalupe, which proves its links to Mariology in the colonial Latin America as well as the fusion of the European arts traditions with America in the sphere of religion beliefs. It is printed on white silk, an extremely valuable material, making it an elegant and powerful message. The use of silk raises the object to a higher level, from the communication by printed texts into an object of religious and status importance. It is made of woodcut, letter press, and engraving, which indicate that it is an object of high artistic quality. The garment is also lined with beautiful metallic trims, which makes its material sacred. It is supported with a round of red silk which gives the proclamation a deeper and richer meaning of the faith and respect to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Due to traditional symbolism, red contributes the element of divinity, love, and sacrifice. The proclamation belongs to the Elisha Whittlesey Collection at The Met, with an accession number 46.46. 559. It offers scholars and lovers of art and history a valuable insight into New Spanish intellectual and artistic life during the 18th century. It also awakens contemporaneous spectators to the question of how arts and crafts and the culture of worshipping were entangled, and how multiple-layered the problem of colonial identity was through the prism of art.[Gruzinski, S. (2001). Images at War: Mexico from Columbus to Blade Runner (1492-2019). Duke University Press.] [Peterson, J. F. (2014). Visualizing Guadalupe: From Black Madonna to Queen of the Americas (n 1)] When and Where the Object was Produced The Thesis Proclamation of José Vicente Maldonado y Trespalacios was developed in 1756, at a time when New Spain was a flourishing center of Hispanic culture and scholarly contacts spanning a vast zone that included most of modem Mexico and parts of Central America. The exact place of its production must therefore, have been close to Mexico City where politics power, culture and religion of New Spain converged. It is a known fact that during 1760s Mexico City was a focal point of artistic and scholastic activity, precisely this historical setting renders the creation of such highly sophisticated artifact plausible. Another sign of the geographical nature of this proclamation is the fact that it was dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The Virgin of Guadalupe is an image that can be largely associated with Mexico by then, which has risen to be a significant religious emblem of identification. Thesis Proclamation’s presence was felt in a way that would not have been possible anywhere like Mexico City, the Basilica of Guadalupe. Art in the eighteenth century in New Spain was also at its peak, where European features are infused with native materials and designs. Woodcut, letterpress, and engraving on white silk with the metal thread border suggests the work of proficient masters and the availability of expensive material, both of which are known to be available in cities such as Mexico City only. The materials used indicates the existence of a sophisticated workshop or print house that would be able to create such a tailored and ornate object. The scholarly content of the object connects it to the institutions of the academic period, such as the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico spearheading intellectualism especially in theology and philosophy. The connection between art, academics and religion in 1756 in Mexico City confirms that Mexico City is the most suitable birth place of the Thesis Proclamation.[Brading, D. A. (2001). Mexican Phoenix: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition Across Five Centuries. Cambridge University Press.] [Peterson, J. F. (2014) (n 1)] [Taylor, W. B. (2016). Theater...