This is a picture of a set of Casta paintings by Francisco Clapera. They are very beautiful paintings, but beauty is far from their only quality. These paintings give us insight into the social standings of different races in New Spain. The best way to read these paintings is from left to right, in the top left the people have lighter skin tones, while on the bottom right they have a darker complexion. These paintings show a difference in the daily lives of these people based on the color of their skin. For the people in the top left corner, they are well dressed and are buying goods from a market. They are out with their child, enjoying some leisure time at the market, while in the bottom right there is a very different narrative. The bottom right shows people with darker skin, and instead of doing leisure activities, they are shown working. These paintings are establishing a narrative of racial inequality that has whites above darker-skinned people. This isn't only shown in large jumps either. The collection consists of sixteen paintings showing the inequality taking a dive as people become more mixed racially. In The Murmur of Bees, the racial hierarchy that is established in the Casta paintings is challenged in some ways but agreed upon in others. Nana Reja is a perfect example of being both in one person. She was described as very dark, but she is also an extremely loved member of the society once they get to know her.
Text Source: Smarthistory, and Smarthistory. “Teaching GuideConstructing Identity in the Spanish Colonies in America.” Smarthistory, smarthistory.org/seeing-america-2/social-structures/teaching-guide-constructing-identity-in-the-spanish-colonies-in-america/.
Image Source: Steven Zucker, Smarthistory co-founder. “Clapera, Casta Paintings.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 7 Feb. 2018, www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/28347108419/in/photolist-EtMthr-2464jX….