Antonio de Torres is one of the foremost painters of the early eighteenth century in Mexico. He was the cousin of the renowned painters Nicolás and Juan Rodríguez Juárez (1667–1735; 1675–1728), who introduced important stylistic changes and sought to elevate the status of painting in the viceroyalty. In 1722 Torres was selected, along with his cousins, to inspect the original image of the Virgin and attest to its miraculous origin—a rare privilege that underscores his exalted artistic status.