Cristóbal de Villalpando

[3] In his later work he moved away from uniform luminosity, employing greater contrast and placing artificial light sources within his paintings to add a touch of drama.

These cathedral works include a large painting of The Transfiguration, climaxing with the Assumption of the Virgin on the inside of the dome of the apse chapel,[3] and incorporate themes from the eucharist.

[5] His large altar piece from the Puebla cathedral, Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus (1683) was featured in a recent major exhibit in Mexico City and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

[6][7] Villalpando's painting of the main square of Mexico City is an important work not only for showing the major buildings and architectural features surrounding the capital's main square (Metropolitan Cathedral, palace of the viceroy, the palace of the archbishop, the town council or ayuntamiento building, and the enclosed commercial area, the Parían Market, and the canal alongside the Portal de las Flores), but also the activities of Mexico City residents of all races and classes.

Elites in their finery brought by carriage to the square, richly stocked shops, and a plethora of Indian and casta market sellers are depicted.

The harmony and prosperity the scene evokes makes it almost possible to ignore the damaged façade of the viceregal palace....[2]: 163  The painting, now in the private collection of Lord Methuen at Corsham Court, UK, has been used as the cover illustration for two important books on colonial Spanish America.