Who was Hernán Cortés and what is a conquistador? Let’s focus on one of the only surviving portraits of the conquistador who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1521.

This 1529 portrait shows Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador who played a central role in the fall of the Aztec Empire. In this video, learn what the word conquistador means, how these figures operated as both soldiers and diplomats, and what their armor and symbols of power (like coats of arms) tell us about European colonization and status in the 16th century. Discover how this rare portrait helps us understand the visual legacy of Cortés and the global consequences of Spanish imperial expansion in the Americas.

This video is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about:

• Mexican art

• New Spain

• Colonial art

• Spanish colonial art

• Portraiture

• Spanish Colonization and Conquest

• Art History

• Latin American Art

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

CHAPTERS

0:00 Defining the word conquistador with a portrait of Hernán Cortés

0:59 Who are conquistadors?

1:25 Soldiers and armor

2:27 Coat-of-arms

2:56 Portraits of Cortés