Although Mexican painting came into its own in the 20th century, it was building upon a long, rich tradition. Making an in-depth reassessment of Mexico's 18th-century visual culture, the 130 images discussed in this exhibition catalogue show how the same artists produced portraits, casta paintings (depictions of racial mixing), folding screens, and finely rendered devotional images, attesting to their extraordinary versatility.

"Along with superlative essays on the force of religion, the authority of portraiture, the use of ornament and the circulation of paintings between Mexico and Spain, the book details more than 130 masterpieces from an age of opulence."—New York Times