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El martirio de San Pedro

Monthly showcase

The collections that the Tecnológico de Monterrey safeguards include works of art and documents from different periods and origins, mostly related to Mexican history and culture. In this section we present the featured object of the month, that is, a work from our collection selected to spread among our students and the community in general. For more information regarding the works included as the featured object of the month and their availability for consultation, please write to: patrimonio_cultural@servicios.itesm.mx

June 2026

Fernando Ortiz Cortés (1692-1767), El martirio de San Pedro: oración panegírica, que en su día el 29 de junio en la Santa Iglesia Metropolitana de México con asistencia de la Real Audiencia, y Nobilísima Ciudad, dijo el Doctor Don Fernando Ortiz Cortés, 1743. Firebrands Collection. GRG Conway Fund. "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra" Special Collections Library. Monterrey Campus. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

This elegant New Spanish printed works is notable for its two-color ornamental cover, characteristic of 18th-century luxury editions. The work was written by the distinguished canon Fernando Ortiz Cortés to commemorate the feast of Saint Peter, celebrated every June 29th.

The text recounts the famous episode of Quo Vadis ("Where are you going?"), one of the best-known stories in Christian tradition. In this episode, Saint Peter is surprised by Jesus Christ leaving the city of Rome to save his life. Moving on, he returns to Rome to face martyrdom and is crucified upside down, as a sign of humility.

Through this work, Ortiz Cortés extols the virtues of Saint Peter and his role as the first leader of the Church and a fundamental figure in Catholicism. The discourse seeks to inpire the faithful through the example of his faith, courage, and commitment.

This copy features on its back cover a detailed engraving of a coat of arms by Diego Troncoso, an important 18th-century engraver. It was published by the printing press of María Teresa de Poveda, widow of José Bernardo de Hogal, and dedicated to the vicereine María Teresa Patiño, wife of the Count of Fuenclara, the 40th viceroy of New Spain.

May 2026

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), Letter from Miguel Hidalgo to Juan Bautista Legorburo, 1787. Digital reproduction. Ignacio Zaragoza Section, Luis García Pimentel Sub-Fund, Ignacio Bernal Fund. "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra" Special Collections Library. Monterrey Campus. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

The Jorullo estate was one of the most important properties in the Michoacán region. One of its principal owners was Andrés de Pimentel, who bequeathed a redeemable annuity in his will to several religious institutions, including the College of San Nicolás Obispo. This annuity consisted of an annual payment of 2,400 pesos to the college for loans, chaplaincy income, charitable works, and the institution upkeep.

In this letter, dated 1787, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in his capacity as treasurer and chaplain of the College of San Nicolás Obispo, addresses Juan Bautista Legorburo to remind him of the overdue payment of said census, an obigation established in perpetuity. The document allows us to see Hidalgo in a role prior to the independence movement: that of an administrador and active figure within the economic and ecclesiastical structures of New Spain.

The historical and documentary significance of the material lies in the fact that it preserves the handwriting and signature of Miguel Hidal y Costilla, whose 273rd birth anniversary is conmmemorated in May. Beyond its testimonial value, the letter constitutes an exceptional source for the study of the economic, religious, and administrative networks of the viceregal period, and highlights the richness and uniqueness, of the collections safeguarded by the "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra" Special Collections Library.

April 2026

Federico Silva (1923-2022), Composition III. From the series Mathematical Space, 1980. Serigraph, 84 x 73.8 cm. Art Collection. Campus Estado de México. Copyright © Federico Silva/Mexico/2025. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

The work of Federico Silva Composition III emerged in the mid-sixties, during a period characterized by the search for modernity.

The piece presents a symmetrical configuration that articulates a palette dominated by oxide, ochre, green, and blue tones, generating a dialogue between warmth and visual depth. It is contructed as a fragmented whole that, despite its apparent discontinuity, reveals a carefully balanced internal organization.

This tension between fragmentation and order produces a sense of contained calm, where each element seems to find its place within a larger system.

The piece not only alludes to mathematical structures, but also to an expanded understanding of space, in which harmony emerges from the precise relationship between its parts, in keeping with the sculptural quest that defines Federico Silva's work. His practice in sculpture spurred the exploration of abstraction that is key to the history of Mexican art. 

March 2026

Carla Rippey (1950), Selk'nam Women, 2002. Charcoal drawing, 134 x 134 x 5.5 cm. Art Collection. Campus Estado de México. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

The work of Carla Rippey (United States, 1950) activates memory through a critical analysis of the image. Her career in drawing and printmaking has been built upon rigorous research in photographs, archives, and historical documents, materials which she reinterprets to question the ways in which the body, especially the female body, has been represented and narrated. A distinctive feature of her practice is the use of drawing as a tool for thought, through which she deconstructs, quotes, and reconfigures images from the past to reveal their historical, political, and gendered tensions.

This drawing is based on a photograph of the last generation of Selk'nam women in southern Chile. The artist emphasizes their faces and clothing, highlighting the dignity of these women in the face of forced migration and displacement. At the same time, she articulates a critical stance toward the structural and systematic violence perpetrated against indigenous peoples, understood in both its historical and symbolic dimensions. 

This work is part of the exhibition "Migrants. A Tale of The Two Hearts", displayed simultaneously at two locations (Mexico City Campus and Monterrrey Campus), which, throung various pieces, invites us to reflect on the realities of migration. Both locations will be open to the public until July 2026. 

Febraury 2026

Pablo O'Higgins (1904-1983), Musician Crossing the River, 1976. Lithograph, 97 x 72.4 x 3.8 cm. Campus Estado de México. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

Pablo O'Higgins was a prominent american painter and engraver who came to Mexico at the invitation of Diego Rivera to collaborate on the murals at the National Preparatory School and the Chapingo School of Agriculture. He became a naturalized Mexican citizen after living in the country for thirty-seven years.

O'Higgins's works reflect his close relationship with Mexican culture, as well as with the social and political issues of the Mexico he lived in. In Musician Crossing the River, he depicts a man carrying his instrument, exposed, vulnerable, and without any clear sign of refuge, suggesting a difficult journey through a rural lanscape surrounded by mountains. This image can be interpreted as a metaphor for rural-urban migration, a human act of resistance and determination. His instrument represents the physical and symbolic burden he leaves behind in his place of origin to seek better opportunities. 

This work is part of the exhibition "Migrants. A Tale of The Two Hearts", displayed simultaneously at two locations (Mexico City Campus and Monterrrey Campus), which, throung various pieces, invites us to reflect on the realities of migration. Both locations will be open to the public until July 2026. 

January 2026

Guillermo Zamora (1913-2002), Daycare centers and chidcare facilities: Multifamily Miguel Alemán, 1946-1952. Digital archive Reproduction. Mario Pani Darqui Personal Archive Fund. Photolibrary of Tecnológico de Monterrey. "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra" Special Collections Library. Monterrey Campus. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

In post-revolutionary Mexico, leisure and free time became fundamental tools for forging a modern and healthy citizenry. Figures like José Vasconcelos and Moisés Sáenz promoted the importance of physical education and recreational spaces in daily life. Within this context, Mario Pani emerged as a key figure, influenced by European funcionalism and the Athens Charter.

In more than 136 projects, including this President Miguel Alemán Urban Center, Pani integrated recreational areas such as daycare centers, preschools, playgrouds, sports courts, swimming pools, and gardens, promoting community and well-being. Furthermore, its focus on integrated desing fused architecture and the arts, with murals and sculptures that enriched urban spaces. This image shows a playground at a preschool, whose facade features animal reliefs designed by Guatemalan artist Carlos Mérida (1891-1984).

Thus, Pani's developments not only provided housing but also created environments that fostered community, relaxation, and social interaction, vital for the holistic development of citizens.

This image is art of the exhibition "Modernist Chimeras Mario Pani and Guillermo Zamora" Which will be on display from December 13th until April 2026 at the National Museum of Architecture in the Palace of Fine Arts of the INBAL.

December 2025

Guillermo Zamora (1913-2002), Women Observing from the President Miguel Alemán Urban Center, 1948. Digital archive Reproduction. Mario Pani Darqui Personal Archive Fund. Photolibrary of Tecnológico de Monterrey. "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra" Special Collections Library. Monterrey Campus. Cultural Heritage of Tecnológico de Monterrey©.

Guillermo Zamora is a key figure in the visual record of post-revolutionary Mexico. His training as a painter and photographer shaped a keen eye for light, volume, and composition. His career is documented in fundamental works of Mexican photographic history. He was a pioneer in photographing leading artists and architects, including figures such as Juan O'Gorman, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Mario Pani, Sordo Madaleno, Barragán, and others. Much of his legacy as an architectural photographer is linked to the architectural projects of Mario Pani.

In this image, Guillermo Zamora captures three women observing the urban landscape from a balcony of President Miguel Alemán Urban Center (CUPMA), creating an expressive contrast between their shadowed silhouettes and the illuminated architecture in the background. The composition is articulated by diagonal lines formed by light and shadow on railings and walls, directing the viewer's gaze toward the main building and accentuaying the depth of the frame. The photograph reveals the coexistence of the intimate and the monument, between the women's everiday pause and the geometric forcefulness of the housing complex.

This image is art of the exhibition "Modernist Chimeras Mario Pani and Guillermo Zamora" Which will be on display from December 13th until April 2026 at the National Museum of Architecture in the Palace of Fine Arts of the INBAL.

Past years

Links of interest: Go to Cultural Heritage >