Portrait of nun, Hermana Francisca Leal y Bidrio, 1840. Felix Zarate Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Oil on canvas: 78" x 47" framed. Purchased with funds generously provided by the Robert J. Kleberg and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation. CLOISTERED LIFE: NUNS IN NEW SPAIN he male-dominated society of New Spain provided only two options for women: they could marry or take religious vows. For many women, the convent was an attractive choice. The convent also provided an honorable solution to families unable to provide for a daughter’s dowry. Many convents provided women with first-rate educations that were otherwise available only to men. Nuns were free to pursue liturgical, literary, musical, and theatrical pursuits within the convent walls. Unlike the austere life a nun in Spain could expect, a young woman choosing the convent in Mexico, for example, often lived a comfortable life that might even include servants. Convents encouraged intellectual and artistic, as well as moral and spiritual, development. Nowhere else in Mexican society did women enjoy as much freedom to define and pursue their interests. Some nuns became influential writers and maintained impressive libraries.						2 of 7   Colonial Life Nun’s Emblem, 18th century. Artist unknown, Mexico. Oil on copper with tortoise frame: 6" diameter. Purchased with funds generously provided by the Robert J. Kleberg and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation