Painted documents and social promotion Some examples of the house of Benamejí

Abstract

In the Ancien Regime, it was relatively frequent that miniatures were painted in the documents that served as irrefutable proof of the enjoyment of grants and privileges to enhance their symbolic importance at times when their public display was necessary in case those acquired rights were questioned.

In this work we are going to study some examples belonging to the Bernuy family corresponding to the 16th century, when its long journey to the nobility began, and the second half of the 18th century, when its culmination took place.