Primary Source

The Dream of Malinche

The Dream of Malinche painting

Annotation

This painting, by a Mexican artist engaged with the international movement of Surrealism, represents a slumbering Malinche; her body serves as the ground supporting an unnamed Mexican community and church. This image evokes certain female earth deities known to the Aztecs, and it sustains the metaphor of the Mexican nation having been built upon the “ground” laid by Malinche’s actions. The lightning above Malinche’s head suggests her dream (as in the painting’s title) may not be pacific. Should she toss or turn—or even awaken—the consequences for the Mexican community resting upon her blanket would be disastrous.

This source is a part of the Doña Marina, Cortés' Translator teaching module.

Credits

Ruíz, Antonio. El sueño de la Malinche [“The Dream of Malinche”]. Oil on canvas, 11 7/8 x 15 3/4”. Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City, 1939.

How to Cite This Source

"The Dream of Malinche," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/dream-malinche [accessed March 28, 2024]