Monjas coronadas
The Monjas coronadas is a pictorial genre that emerged during the viceregal period of New Spain in the 17th century, extending into the 18th and 19th centuries. These paintings usually depict novices from New Spain who made their solemn vows, and thus are portrayed after the profession rite with jewels and ornaments. A form of Catholic art, it is associated with Indochristian art. Apart from the novices at their profession are also portraits of nuns at their deathbed or of other key moments of their monastic life.
This New Spanish Baroque pictorial genre from what is today Mexico, represented the graphic importance of the Catholic Church in the world of New Spain, in addition to depicting the nuns' convent life and its characteristics through iconographic representations with elements that allude to mysticism and asceticism, mystical marriage, biblical words, etc.
Characteristics
In all the paintings of the nuns, one can see them dressed and adorned with jewels, flowers and ornaments, wearing crowns or wreaths of these same materials, holding candles, crucifixes, or images of the Infant Jesus. The vast majority are static figures looking down at the ground or the viewer, with a simple background.Iconography
To begin with, apart from the clear theological interpretation of these paintings, they are surrounded by mystery due to the lack of knowledge about the subject, which opens the way to speculation, making the works fascinating. And it is because of the similarities between the canvases that they seem to give a kind of succession to the entire collection.Furthermore, the monastic habit in each portrait is different, so they can be classified as "calced" and "discalced". And within all the ornaments, we can find the following icongraphy:
| Element | Significance |
| Red rose | Victory over the flesh |
| White rose | Purity |
| Jasmine | Simplicity |
| Carnation | Obedience and pentience |
| Iris | Purity and chastity |
| Nardin | Prayer, attribute of Saint Joseph |
| Butterflies | Resurrection of Christ |
| Doves | Holy Spirit |
| Bunch of grapes | Most Precious Blood of Jesus |
| Sculptures of saints and angels | Allegories of the religious life |
| Black veil | Mystical wedding to Jesus Christ |
| Palm | Victory over death |
| Hairshirts and lit candles | Ascetitism |
Profession ceremony
The profession ceremony symbolizes the mystical marriage with Jesus Christ. Among the most important moments are the declaration of the perpetual vows and the prostration.Antonio Nuñez de Miranda, confessor of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, in his Doctrinal Talk explains how he exhorts her to fulfill the vows of chastity, obedience, poverty, and enclosure and describes the steps taken during the ceremony: