“Made by the Son of a Black”: José Campeche as Artist and Free Person of Color in Late Eighteenth-Century Puerto Rico

In response to the absence of a critical discussion race within his historiography, this essay focuses on José Campeche (1751–1809) as an artist African descent and argues that socially culturally inscribed constructs Campeche’s lived experiences them in late eighteenth-century Puerto Rico shaped informed participation arts. both free man color racialized colonial society, such, inquiries regarding how affected life artistic practice, particularly immersion community people San Juan possibly impacted manner which he was trained worked, allow for more comprehensive understanding art production. Using comparable examples descendant artists artisans active other centers, such Mexico City Havana, article elucidates connections between socioracial reality, career, work through examination relationship making Rico, broader Caribbean region, greater Spanish Empire during eighteenth early nineteenth centuries. This analysis career prompts new questions about have not been asked previous scholarship, structures would defined position interactions society also complex multiracial identity may allowed him access different kinds exposure, training, opportunities likely had Juan.