Project Overview
The Conquest of Mexico
The significance of Conquest-era events depicted in a series of colossal paintings are revealed through interpretive installations before them.
The Conquest of Mexico paintings, eight large canvases painted in Mexico during the seventeenth century by unknown artists, are a centerpiece of the Exploring the Early Americas exhibit at the Library of Congress. The interactive installations accompanying the paintings give visitors unprecedented, up-close views of these accounts of the encounter between Cortez and Montezuma, while interpretive hotspots help visitors understand the stories surrounding each event portrayed in the paintings. Visitors can follow sequential tours through each painting or explore them in a self-directed manner.