Legacies of Mexican Art

Name history’s greatest civilizations. Did the Maya and the Aztec make your list? Both developed in Mesoamerica, in what is now known as Mexico. Spanish invaders, who began arriving in the early 1500s, destroyed much of Maya and Aztec culture. But we can learn about these precolonial civilizations by studying the artifacts that remain.

One thousand years ago, Mexico wasn’t a country. But in Mesoamerica, the area we now call Mexico, there were thriving civilizations. The Maya and the Aztec were two of the biggest. In the 1500s, Spanish invaders arrived in Mesoamerica and destroyed a lot of Maya and Aztec culture. But we can learn about these precolonial civilizations from the art and architecture left behind.

From approximately 250 to 1500 a.d., the Maya ruled the region. El Castillo (ehl kahs-TEE-yoh), above, is one of the most famous Maya pyramids. It is located in Chichén Itzá (chee-CHEN eet-SAH). The Maya founded this city in the mid-400s at the site of two natural springs. Easy access to water allowed the city to grow into a large trading center.

El Castillo, also called the Temple of Kukulkán (koo-kool-KAHN), honors Kukulkán, a feathered serpent god. Each side of the limestone structure, above, faces a cardinal direction—north, south, east, and west. A staircase with 91 steps ascends each side. The total number of steps, including the shared top platform, is 365—the number of days in a year.

The Maya ruled from roughly 250 to 1500 a.d. Their pyramids are world-famous. The one above is called El Castillo (ehl kahs-TEE-yoh). It’s located in Chichén Itzá (chee-CHEN eet-SAH). The Maya founded this city around the year 450. The city became a large trading center because of easy access to water.

El Castillo is also called the Temple of Kukulkán (koo-kool-KAHN). It honors Kukulkán, a feathered serpent god. The sides of the limestone structure face north, south, east, and west. Each side has a staircase with 91 steps. If you add the steps and the top platform together, you get 365—the number of days in a year

Though the Maya civilization would continue to exist for several more centuries, it had weakened by the 10th century. The Aztec emerged as the most powerful people in Mexico in the 1300s. Like the Maya, the Aztec honored their gods in their art and architecture.

The Sun Stone, below, is a massive calendar. Carved from stone, it weighs 25 tons and is approximately 12 feet in diameter. It features symbols that convey the Aztec’s idea of time as cyclical.

At the Sun Stone’s center is the Aztec sun god, who is surrounded by symbols representing previous eras. Concentric circles radiate from the central sun. The first ring includes symbols for the days in an Aztec month. The outer ring features two serpents, their mouths facing each other at the bottom of the stone. Some experts say that one of the serpents is Quetzalcóatl (kwet-shul-kuh-WAH-tl)—the Aztec version of the Maya god Kukulkán.

The Maya civilization lasted many more years, but the Aztec became the most powerful people in Mexico in the 1300s. The Aztec honored their gods through art and architecture.

The Sun Stone, below, is a massive calendar. Carved from stone, it weighs 25 tons and is about 12 feet wide. It’s round because the Aztec thought of time as going in cycles.

The Aztec sun god is in the center, surrounded by symbols of previous time periods and concentric circles. The first ring has symbols for the days in an Aztec month. The outer ring shows two serpents. Some experts say that one is Quetzalcóatl (kwet-shul-kuh-WAH-tl)—the Aztec version of the Maya god Kukulkán.

The Spanish conquered the Aztec in the early 1500s, but the Aztec legacy, like that of the Maya and other precolonial civilizations, is visible throughout Mexico today. In 1810, Mexico won independence from Spain. In the 1920s, the Mexican government began commissioning murals to celebrate the country’s history.

Remnants of an aqueduct built by the Aztec can be found at a park in Mexico City. More recently, the park was home to a modern-day waterworks system that is now a museum. In 1951, Diego Rivera painted a mural there. He called it Water, Origin of Life, below.

Motifs representing water adorn the space. Rivera includes aquatic creatures and figures using tools to harness water’s power. Do you see connections between the art of the great Mesoamerican cultures and Rivera’s mural? Keep reading to discover how works like the ones shown here continue to inspire Mexican artists today.

In 1810, Mexico became independent from Spain. In the 1920s, the Mexican government hired artists to represent the country’s history.

At a park in Mexico City, there are remnants of an ancient aqueduct used to transport water long distances. In 1951, Diego Rivera painted a mural there called Water, Origin of Life. He includes motifs of water, as well as sea creatures and figures using water’s power.

Keep reading to see how these works inspire Mexican artists today.