Mexico: A History in Art

Mexico: A History in Art by Bradley Smith

The history of ancient and modern Mexico as shown in the sculpture and painting of its great artists from prehistoric to modern times: how life was lived in the fust villages; the splendor of the classic city states; the tumultuous rise of the Aztec Empire and its fall to the conquistadors; the struggle for independence against overwhelming European power; the People's Revolution and emergence as an influential member of the world community.

On these colorful pages, the pageant of daily life flows by; a first-century nobleman admires his face in the mirror; two lovers tenderly embrace; a pregnant woman squats in the birth-giving po-sition; a warrior advances, carrying a shield of ocelot skin and the deadly atlatl, his spear-throw-ing device; ancient musicians, acrobats, and contortionists perform. In decorated ceramics, 3,000 years old, women are shown baking tortillas for their families. Early evidence of a dual concept of life and death is disclosed in a child-adult figu-rine-half of the body fleshed, the other half a skeleton.

This beautiful volume makes it easy to find your way through the stormy periods of Mexican history and art. Accurate chronologies introduce each important era: the period of the mysterious Olmecs and their colossal sculptures at La Venta; the classic Maya culture of Yucatán and Chiapas; the early civilization of the Oaxaca Valley; the visions of paradise and the sacred ball game in the brilliant murals of Teotihuacán

The melding of text and pictures reveals the legends and realities of priests, kings, and gods such as Quetzalcoatl of the Toltecs; Eight Deer, Cacique of Tilantongo; and Huitzilopochtli, the blood-hungry god of the Aztecs-just as they are portrayed in the rare picture/symbol codices.

As Mexico moves from the ancient to the modern world, you see the patriot priests Hidalgo and Morelos lead the disfranchised masses out of slavery toward independence; Benito Juárez, the Zapotec Indian who became president, foils Napoleon III in his bid to make Maximilian and Carlota emperor and empress.

Then comes the drama of the storm that moved across all Mexico, the Revolution. We see its violence and aspiration in Posada's etchings and the murals and easel paintings by the masters of the modern renaissance: Orozco, Dr. Atl, Rivera, Siqueiros, O' Gorman, and Tamayo.

The entire book is presented in full color.

There are 270 magnificent plates selected from museums and private collections and photographed by Bradley Smith, one of the world's outstanding color photographers. All pictures are unretouched and are carefully reproduced to reveal the masterpieces of both ancient and modern Mexico as they are today.

BRADLEY SMITH is the author of Spain: A History in Art; Japan: A History in Art and Columbus in the New World. In addition to photographing and writing these important works, he has, for the past two decades, photographed masterpieces in painting and sculpture throughout the world.

His articles and photographs have appeared in such outstanding periodicals as Life and Holiday magazines. He has won high praise for his lucid and accurate historical writing.

Jacket design by David H. Stech

Hardcover with dust jacket

Author: Bradley Smith

Edition/Year: First Edition, 1968, Editora Cultura y Educativa, S.A. de C.V., Mexico D.F.

Condition: Good vintage condition

Dimensions: 13" x 9"