The Murals of Cacaxtla: The Power of Painting in Ancient Central Mexico

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 captures the imagination. Honorable Mention, ALAA Book Award, Association for Latin American Art/Arvey Foundation, 2016 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.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations and Tables Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Cacaxtla in Context The Acropolis and Its Paintings Greater Cacaxtla-Xochitécatl Diego Muñoz Camargo's Description of Cacaxtla Problems of Evidence Between Powerful Neighbors Cacaxtla among the Epiclassic City-States Art and Identity Chaos Again 2. The Murals Materials and Techniques Artists Chronology 3. The Feathered Serpent and the Captive Stair: Polemics of Style The Serpent Corridor Feathered Serpents Aquatic Borders Feathered Serpents and Aquatic Borders The Afterlife of the Feathered Serpent The Captive Stair Text and Image A Foreign Style? Reconsidering Captive Art Polemics of Style 4. The Temple of Venus: Astral Bodies Style Venus/Star Symbolism Bilingualism and Polyvalence 5. The Battle Mural: Violence in the Plaza Time and Inevitability Doubling Patterns of Naming The Dangers of Difference The Battle Mural in Mesoamerican Context Burial 6. The Red Temple: Maize in the Underworld A Merchant God and His Wares Painting Luxury Of Maize, Cacao, and Men Supernatural Landscape 7. Structure A: The Mountain of Sustenance The Portico and Jamb Murals: A Portrait of the Altepetl Guardians and Antecedents Names and Dates Duality and Difrasismo Sustenance Mountain Continuity and Change Painted Earth: The Inner Mural Later Interventions: Blood and Clay Buried Paintings Conclusion Appendix: Radiocarbon Dates for the Cacaxtla Murals A Review of Radiocarbon Dating and Reporting Early Classic Radiocarbon Dates at Cacaxtla Radiocarbon Dates Associated with Mural Painting Chronology of the Cacaxtla Paintings Notes Bibliography