Mexican Eve

This image was taken from the website of the Mexican Consulate, and attached to a short biography of La Malinche. The picture is entitled "Mexican Eve - The Mother of the Mestizo". I find this an apt description, and the picture seems to portray that to some degree. As it only encompasses her face and shoulders it makes it difficult to comment too far on the portrayal, but it would appear that she is wearing native garb, and the background also appears native. One could surmise then that she is being portrayed as a native. However, as its title implies, the portrait also mixes some European ideals and facial features into its portrayal of Doña Marina. Her expression is somewhat stern, and regal, depicting her as both maternal and noble. This would match with the authors summary of post-modern idealizations of Doña Marina, as a complex figure with a say in her own fate, as opposed to the simplistic portrayals of her as either a victim or a betrayer.This portrayal of Doña Marina as the "Mother of the Mestizo" makes her more of a symbolic figure, removing some of her humanity and making her larger than life by comparing her to a biblical figure. I believe the author would find that astpect of the painting unrealistic, reminding those who see it that while La Malinche did play a large role in the events of her time, she was still a human woman and had human motivations and fears. She did not intentionally create a new nationality, or a new racial identity. She was simply the first example of what would be a natural miscegination among the Spanish and the native peoples.