How did Neoclassicism support Spanish and Portuguese authority in Latin America before independence?

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Diego Rivera: Popular History of Mexico — Latin American art Detail from *Popular History of Mexico*, mosaic mural by Diego Rivera, 1953; on the Teatro des los Insurgentes, Mexico City.

In the period preceding independence, Spanish and Portuguese authorities utilized Neoclassicism as a tool to reassert their political presence and cultural influence in Latin America. By promoting a style rooted in the rational, balanced forms of Greco-Roman antiquity, colonial rulers sought to project an image of stability, order, and "enlightened" authority.1

Specific strategies included:

Institutional Control: Spain established the Royal Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City in 1783, sending Spanish artists to enforce academic standards and discipline local artistic production.1
Imperial Iconography: Neoclassical works were used to equate monarchs with the power of Roman emperors. A prominent example is Manuel Tolsá’s equestrian statue of King Charles IV, which depicted the monarch in the likeness of Marcus Aurelius to convey command and benevolence.1
State-Sponsored Missions: In Brazil, the Portuguese monarchy imported French academicians to create busts and history paintings that emphasized order and the legitimacy of the royal court in Rio de Janeiro.1

Ultimately, these efforts to use art as a mechanism for colonial discipline proved ineffective as the colonies moved toward independence.1