The Murals of Cacaxtla: The Power of Painting in Ancient Central Mexico (Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture)

"Between AD 650 and 950, a small city-state in central Mexico produced dazzling murals of gods, historical figures, and supernatural creatures on the walls of its most important sacred and public spaces. This study explores how the Cacaxtla murals constitute a sustained and local painting tradition, in which generations of ancient Mexican artists, patrons, and audiences created a powerful statement of communal identity that still captures the imagination"-- Provided by publisher Between Ad 650 And 950, Artists At The Small Central Mexican City-state Of Cacaxtla Covered The Walls Of Their Most Important Sacred And Public Spaces With Dazzling Murals Of Gods, Historical Figures, And Supernatural Creatures. Testimonies Of A Richly Interconnected Ancient World, The Cacaxtla Paintings Present An Unexpectedly Deep Knowledge Of The Art And Religion Of The Maya, Zapotec, And Other Distant Mesoamerican Peoples. Painted During A Period Of War And Shifting Alliances After The Fall Of Teotihuacan, The Murals’ Distinctive Fusion Of Cosmopolitan Styles And Subjects Claimed A Powerful Identity For The Beleaguered City-state. Presenting The First Cohesive, Art Historical Study Of The Entire Painting Corpus, The Murals Of Cacaxtla Demonstrates That These Magnificent Works Of Art Constitute A Sustained And Local Painting Tradition, Treasured By Generations Of Patrons And Painters. Exhaustive Chapters On Each Of The Mural Programs Make It Possible To See How The Cacaxtla Painting Tradition Developed Over Time, Responding To Political And Artistic Challenges. Lavishly Illustrated, The Murals Of Cacaxtla Illuminates The Agency Of Ancient Artists And The Dynamics Of Artistic Synthesis In A Mesoamerican Context, Offering A Valuable Counterpoint To Studies Of Colonial And Modern Art Operating At The Intersection Of Cultural Traditions.-- Cacaxtla In Context -- The Murals -- The Feathered Serpent And The Captive Stair: Polemics Of Style -- The Temple Of Venus: Astral Bodies -- The Battle Mural: Violence In The Plaza -- The Red Temple: Maize In The Underworld -- Structure A: The Mountain Of Sustenance -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Radiocarbon Dates For The Cacaxtla Murals. Claudia Brittenham ; Foreword By María Teresa Uriarte Castañeda. 75 Inah Aniversario. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 247-278) And Index. "Between AD 650 and 950, a small city-state in central Mexico produced dazzling murals of gods, historical figures, and supernatural creatures on the walls of its most important sacred and public spaces. This study explores how the Cacaxtla murals constitute a sustained and local painting tradition, in which generations of ancient Mexican artists, patrons, and audiences created a powerful statement of communal identity that still captures the imagination"-- Résumé de l'éditeur Presenting the first comprehensive art historical study of some magnificent Mesoamerican murals, this book demonstrates how generations of ancient Mexican artists, patrons, and audiences created a powerful statement of communal identity that still capture