The Metropolitan Museum commissioned four teams of photographers to photograph both archaeological sites and art in Mexico their material and much from other sources make this perhaps the most richly illustrated book ever produced by the Metropolitan. All of the other major artists of the first half of this century are discussed, as well as some whose work is only now receiving the acclaim it deserves. The great twentieth-century muralists-Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros-are presented through a strong selection of their easel paintings. The influential prints by Posada and his contemporaries provide a lively conclusion to this section. The art of nineteenth-century Mexico is richly represented by some forty paintings, most of which will be new to American readers.

This indepth presentation of the period from the early sixteenth century through the eighteenth century offers illuminating insights into the forces that shape cultural and aesthetic change. Illustrated essays discuss the transmutation of the European forms that were introduced into Mexico and the gradual growth of a new and vibrant culture. The viceregal section examines the implications of the fateful encounter of the great Indian civilizations of Mexico and the Spanish conquistadores. Short essays, illustrated with site maps and photographs, introduce the sites, thus placing the works of art in their historical and physical contexts. Each section-Pre-Columbian Art, Viceregal Art, Nineteenth-Century Art, and Twentieth-Century Art-is introduced by an essay written by an eminent scholar.Įight major sites are presented in the Pre-Columbian Section: La Venta, Izapa, Teotihuacán, Monte Albán, Palenque, El Tajín, Chichén Itzá, and Tenochtitlán. The substantial foreword, written by Octavio Paz, the distinguished Mexican author, presents a most lively and acute analysis of the national character, art, and history. Each work is illustrated in full color and is accompanied by a text that will be of interest to both the general reader and the scholar. More than 350 sculptures, paintings, and objects from museums and private collections in Mexico, the United States, and Europe illustrate this unsurpassed survey of Mexican culture.

This landmark publication, which accompanies a major exhibition, celebrates the immense artistic riches created in Mexico through its 3,000-year history.

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