The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 20, 2024

Plate 10

Plate 10

1943
(Guatamalan, 1894–1985)
Guatemala
color lithograph
Sheet: 41.4 x 31.4 cm (16 5/16 x 12 3/8 in.); Image: 31 x 27.3 cm (12 3/16 x 10 3/4 in.)
Gift of Mitzie Verne in memory of Dr. Daniel Verne 1999.145.10
© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Carlos Mérida issued the series of prints to which this work belongs in a portfolio with text from the Popol Vuh in both English and Spanish.

Description

Born in Guatemala, Carlos Mérida depicted his native culture throughout his art. This print belongs to a series related to the Popol Vuh, an ancient Mayan epic that describes the world’s creation. Rather than straightforwardly illustrating the text, Mérida uses bright, overlapping fields of color and dynamic abstract forms to convey the narrative’s drama and grandiosity. More broadly, the striking image suggests the strength of an indigenous culture unaffected by the European conquerors who had attempted to eradicate it.
  • ?-1999
    Mitzie Verne, Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    1999-
    Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • A Graphic Revolution: Prints and Drawings in Latin America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 14-August 2, 2020).
  • {{cite web|title=Plate 10|url=false|author=Carlos Mérida, Graphic Arts Publications Editories|year=1943|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1999.145.10