The text at the bottom of this painting states that Señor Moya became the visitador, viceroy, and archbishop of New Spain on August 18, 1570. As archbishop and visitador, he was the head of the Catholic church in the areas we now know as Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, Cuba, and Florida. He aimed to grow the church, ensure profitability, and oversee those who worked for the church. He was known as a fair leader who sought to outlaw the enslavement of native peoples.

This is an 1800s copy of a portrait painted at the end of the 1500s. The artist who painted the original portrait probably painted it just before or very soon after Moya de Contreras arrived in Mexico. Many European artists were living in Mexico City at the end of the 1500s, and as the colony grew, European artists opened their own studios and trained local students. It is possible that one of these artists painted his portrait.