por tequitqui art It is the name given to the artistic manifestations carried out by the indigenous people of Mexico and Central America after the Spanish conquest. Some regions where they can be seen are Mexico City, Puebla, Michoacán, Jalisco, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, the State of Mexico and Chiapas.
During the 16th century, the fusion of European and native styles and techniques created a new form of expression, which was reflected in the painting, sculpture, and architectural structures of that time. These works are found mainly on the facades of Christian temples, monasteries and convents, on the atrial crosses and on the interior murals of the chapels.
The word tequitqui is of Nahuatl origin and means «tributary». The term was used for the first time by the historian and art critic José Moreno Villa, in his book The Mexican in the plastic arts (1948). He there he defined it as a strange mixture of styles, belonging to three different eras: Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance.
For his part, the Mexican researcher Constantino Reyes-Valerio baptized it as «Indo-Christian art» in his book Indo-Christian art. 16th century sculpture in Mexico (1978). In this name he united the theme of the works, which was Christian, with the origin of the artist who made them, who was Indian.
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History of tequitqui art
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the art of native cultures revolved around their religions. Through it the natives expressed their traditions and paid tribute to their divinities through sculptures, monuments and other works.
After the conquest, the Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian missionaries sought to abolish these beliefs and instill in them the Christian faith.
The task was not easy. On the one hand were language difficulties and on the other the Indians refused to abandon their practices and rites.
Faced with this, the greatest efforts of the monks targeted the indigenous children, who due to their young age had the least ingrained customs and were more susceptible to change.
Christian art with indigenous labor
This entire period of evangelization coincided with the construction of monasteries, convents, and chapels that housed innumerable sculptural and pictorial works.
Most had a Christian theme and were made by the Indians, under the intellectual direction of the friars.
Among other tasks, the natives were in charge of cutting and hauling stones, sectioning wood, making lime, and making bricks. But also, some more qualified, were in charge of artistic decoration, sculpting and painting.
In these works, which show a fusion of styles and techniques, indigenous artists also covertly included symbols and signs of their traditions and beliefs.
This religious hybrid gave rise to a new form of expression, which was called tequitqui art.
Characteristics of tequitqui art
In his book, José Moreno Villa pointed out that tequitqui art seemed to be anachronistic: “it was born out of time, because the Indian, indoctrinated by the friars or the masters who came from Europe, received prints, drawings, ivories, rich fabrics as models embroidered, breviaries, crosses and other objects made in different periods”.
From there, the artists took their inspiration and at the same time added their own knowledge and beliefs. For this reason, the works of this period are characterized by the fusion of styles.
Another of his salient features is improvisation. While the monks had some knowledge, they were not professionals and did not follow a particular line of work, but made do with what they could and had at hand.
Architecture
In tequitqui architecture you can find elements of Mudejar, Gothic, Renaissance, Plateresque and Romanesque art.
On the other hand, the construction of open chapels is something that occurs only in this region, because the Indians did not used to enter the churches, since only priests could enter their old temples.
Paint
Tequitqui painting stands out for the use of pure and primary colors.
Sculpture
The tequitqui sculpture stands out for the flatness in the carving of the stone and the use of the technique of corn cane and some native woods.
The natives, meanwhile, incorporated their own figures and ornaments into their works, which were mixed with Spanish art. For example, the angels had features more similar to the indigenous ones and had eagle wings, which among the Aztecs was the symbol of Huitzilopochtli, the sun.
Outstanding works of tequitqui art
Some prominent places where tequitqui art stands out are:
Former convent of San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca
Located in San Juan Bautista, 113 kilometers north of the City of Oaxaca, this construction was completed by the Dominican friars in 1576. The place housed 36 niches that housed the images of original saints, most of them carved in wood.
In the upper arch of the open chapel, a chain of snakes is carved, which represented an indigenous symbology.
Former convent of San Francisco de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Tlaxcala
It was built between 1537 and 1540. The roof of the temple was made of wood in a Mudejar style. It lacks domes and its only tower is separated from the church.
For its part, the main altar is baroque in style and has important paintings and sculptures with tequitqui art.
Convent of San Gabriel Arcángel in Cholula, Puebla
It is a Franciscan construction that was completed in 1552. It was erected on the land where a temple dedicated to the cult of Quetzalcóatl was located.
Its original mural decoration from the 16th century was completely made by indigenous people, although a good part of it is now lost.
Convent of San Nicolás de Tolentino in Hidalgo
Its construction was carried out between the years 1550 and 1573, and it constitutes one of the greatest examples of New Spanish art of the 16th century.
It has a Plateresque style and has Renaissance paintings and a large number of tequitqui elements that symbolize the religious syncretism of the time.
References
Moreno Villa, Jose (1948). The Mexican in the plastic arts. Mexico.
Reyes-Valerio, Constantino (1978). Indo-Christian art. Sculpture of the 16th century in Mexico. Mexico.
News Media (2013). Tequitqui art in Mexico and Guatemala. Francisco Marroquin University. Available at: newmedia.ufm.ed
Mexican. tequitqui art. General Directorate of Information Technologies and Communications of the Ministry of Culture of Mexico. Available at: mexicana.cultura.gob.mx
Fernandez, J. (1989). Mexican art. Porrúa. Mexico.
Tequitqui, Wikipedia. Available at: wikipedia.org.