Art History Senior Mercedes Muratalla Earns Top Honors for Research on Femininity, Grief, and Material Culture

Mercedes Muratalla, a senior majoring in Art History, was selected to present her research at the 2025 UNT Scholars Day, where she earned third place in the university-wide Full-Length Research Paper Competition. 

Her paper, “Reframing Femininity and Grief: The Rebozo Luto de Aroma” [Scented Mourning Shawl], explores how this rare garment transcends the boundary between life and death, creating a shared maternal space in mourning for feminine wearers. Muratalla, who is also majoring in Spanish Language and Literature, presented her latest research under the supervision of Dr. Denise Baxter, professor of Art History.

The presentation marked the culmination of her second Undergraduate Research Fellowship through the Honors College and the CVAD Department of Art History. It also represented her fourth major research project supported by the Honors College. To date, Muratalla has been awarded more than $10,000 in research funding during her undergraduate studies.

Senior Mercedes Muratalla presents at UNT Scholars Day 2025.

A rebozo, which is Spanish for shawl, is a long, flat rectangular garment traditionally worn by women in Mexico. With varying styles and colors, it accompanies women through key life stages — from pregnancy and childbirth to mourning, and even as a burial shroud. Muratalla’s research highlights the rebozo luto de aroma as both a cultural artifact and a deeply symbolic expression of femininity and grief.

For more information about the CVAD Art History program, please visit the Art History web pages.