Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz

Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (San Miguel de Allende, 1713–1770, Mexico City)[1] was an 18th-century Mexican painter, a mestizo according to the system of racial classification.

Like many artists in Colonial New Spain, he was a member of painting academy that was established in the mid-eighteenth century.

In his Casta sets, much could be determined about the status of the subjects based on their clothing, hair, and surroundings.

He also used body language to express attitudes and emotions that supposedly resulted from racial mixing.

Color contrast, sharp detail, and positioning of the figures reflect the influence of Dutch and Flemish genre painting in his work.