c. 1740-1760

Fragment from a Biombo: "Virtuous Work Calls for Rest"

Artist/maker unknown

This fragment is one of four from a Mexican biombo, or folding screen. Mexican artists modeled such screens on Japanese examples, which were introduced into New Spain in the late sixteenth century and became one of the most popular decorative art forms. Each panel of this biombo depicted a moral proverb from the book Theatro moral de la vida humana (Moral Theater of Human Life) by the Dutch artist Otto van Veen (c. 1556-1629), published in Spanish in 1669.

This particular fragment is based on a print from Van Veen's book and illustrates the proverb "Virtuous work calls for rest." The scene shows Apollo playing his lyre for the Muses following their completion of a musical rehearsal---as evidenced by the sheet of music held by one of the women---reminding the viewer of the importance of rest after completing virtuous activities such as working and studying.