The Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, the Vicerrectoeia de Extensión y Difusion de la

Cultura and the Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos gives you the warmest welcome you to
this space. Our museum is located in a late 18th century house. Its name is derived from the
sixteen panels with male figures that decorate the facade of the same.

This place houses and preserves the artistic and scientific collection of our institution, which
consists of almost five thousand pieces dating from the 16th to the 21st century.

In the rooms on the first floor, antique furniture that was part of what was once the Colegio del
Espiritu Santo is exhibited, then known as the Colegio del Estado. Today we know this edification
as the Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.

Musical instruments and scientific devices are also exhibited.

In the sixteen rooms on the second floor you can appreciate the paintings of different artists from
the 16th to the 21th century.

Our room three is dedicated to the work of José Juárez, a painter from New Spain, who was born
in the first half of the 17th century and died in 1661.

José Juárez was the son of the painter Luis Juárez and a disciple of the Sevillian painter Sebastián
López de Arteaga. His work is strongly influenced by the tenebrist style of Francisco de Zurbarán.

When the great painter Sebastián López de Arteaga died, Juárez became one of the most
important artist of his time. His work makes him the first representative of the Mexican Baroque.

In this room, where Juarez's work is on display, are the paintings Christ the King of Mockery, and
Samson and Delilah, both attributed to the same artist.

Let's take a look at this two paintings, The Holy Family and The Adoration of the Shepherds, both
signed by Juárez.

In The Holy Family, José Juárez recreates in a pleasant way the family close to Jesus: the Virgin
Mary sitting in the center holding her son, who holds in his hands a dove symbolizing the Holy
Spirit.

In the lower central part, there is the child John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, and behind him is Saint
Elizabeth, the Virgin's cousin and John's mother, represented as a mature woman. To the right of
Mary is Joseph.

Complementing the scene is Zechariah, John's father, with a dark robe and red mantle over his
legs, as we can see he is an old man. We see two doves in the lower left corner, messengers of
peace; on the right side a fruit bowl with grapes and pomegranate, as well as a mamey of Mexican
origin and with this the author of the work tells us that the painting was made in New Spain.

As can be seen, the works presented are religious in nature, the most popular during this period.
The lives of saints were painted, as well as biblical passages, as we can see in the work entitled The
Adoration of the Shepherds.
In the uppper right corner we see the City of Bethlehem, the bonfire and the profiles of the sheep
as the shepherds watched and cared for their flock.

That night an angel appears to them and announces the birth of the Messiah whom they would
find in a nerby cave wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, according to what the
Gospel mentions.

In the centre of the work, the figure of the Child Jesus can be seen in a shining light. The
composition of the work draws the viewer's attention to the imahe of the Child that is illuminated
in its entirety, radiatimh light to the faces of the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the rest of the characters
in the painting.

Juarez, is recreated more in the lines of the fabric than in the figure of the Child himself, in which
the folds built with shadows make in black, gray, blue and yellow can be seen.

The colors used in Mary's clothing are those traditionally used at that time. They contrast the skin
tones of little Jesus and Mary with the rest of the characters, who have a darker skin tone.

It is a play in which Joseph, Mary and the Child appear sorrounded by seven shepherds, among
men women and two children, who offer them part of their possesions.

We can observe one of the women in the upper left quadrant, carrying a basket of chickens.

The man who appears at the right end of the painting, carries in his left hand what appears to be a
wineskin, which is an animal skin sewn in wich wine or oil was preserved, and his clothing looks
more like that of the seventeenth century, than what a shepherd could have worn at the time of
Jesus birth, the same is true of the rest of the characters; if we look closely at the work, the
character who is at the feet of the Child Jesus wears shoes instead of the sandals of a shepherd.

As for the iconographic elements, in the lower central part, there is a lamb that symbolizes the
saceifice of Jesus; and behind it, there is a basket with eggs that symbolize a new life.

This work is in the Tenebrist style, that is to say, the use of intense contrasts between light and
shadow, by means of forced illumination, a resource used in the painting of the Baroque Period to
give greater drama to the scenes captured on the canvases.

In the lower left corner we find the signature of Jose Juárez.

The Benemérita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, the Vicerrectoria de Extensión y Difusión de la

Cultura and the Museo Universitario Casa de los Muñecos, invite you to know more about the
artistic and scientific collection that is kept in this museum.

Once our facilities are open we invite you to visit us in our museum to appreaciate the works in
more detail.