In my dissertation, I examine the little recognized genre, costumbrismo, within a socio-historical context.  Costumbrismo is a term used in Spain and Latin America to designate the representation of local customs, costumes and scenes of everyday life. It garnered particular momentum in the nineteenth century as the nation’s leaders tried to stabilize the country both politically and economically and struggled to create an independent nation in the wake of Spanish colonialism, French occupation and American intervention. I argue that costumbrista paintings played a vital role in the construction of racial and social types and contributed to notions of Mexican identity.