Biombo of the Conquest of MexicoGonzález Brothers

This 17th-century folding screen, likely crafted in the González brothers’ workshop, narrates the Spanish conquest of Mexico. It features the meeting between Hernán Cortés and Moctezuma II and depicts ’La Noche Triste’ (July 1, 1520), when Spanish forces and Tlaxcalan allies retreated from Tenochtitlan under Aztec attack. The screen illustrates the chaotic battle and retreat, a pivotal moment that, despite losses, led to the eventual Spanish victory in 1521.