Non Western Art

 

For this blog, I will be showcasing some beautiful Mexican Art. I am of Hispanic descend and

love and admire the colors and uniqueness that Mexican Art has. Mexico was populated more

than 13,000 years ago and saw the rise and fall of many indigenous civilizations. The works I

will be talking about are just the tip of the art iceberg that Mexico has. 

The Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas is a catholic church located in Zacatecas City, Zacatecas,

Mexico, and is dedicated to “Our Lady of the Assumption”. The church has limited historical

information, based on the information I did find looks like the church was initially a parish

originally built in 1568, an addition was then added on top of it in 1625 making it a temple. In

1752 it was demolished in order to make a much “grander” temple. The end result was the

cathedral that we see today. The first stone to be laid was by Don Jose de Izarraguirre;

unfortunately, I could not find if he was the architect or designer of the cathedral.

In 1862 Pope Pius IX gave the church cathedral status, and in 1959 Pope John XXIII elevated

it to Basilica status. The church features a stunningly detailed center the columns are ornated

with angels and plant motifs, the bottom layer houses stone carvings of four apostles St.

James, St. Peters, St. Paul, and St. Andrew the middle layer house the four doctors of the

Latin Church St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Ambrose of Milan,

the top layer houses four apostles and a chaired figure of Jesus Christ in the middle. The rest

of the church seems a little plain and very square, on both corners of the building we see two

tall towers that feature the same amount of detail as the center of the building. 

As I was looking for art to feature in my blog I came across this church and was taken aback

by how beautifully intricate the building is.  The stunning beauty this church partakes in is

mesmerizing. I would have love to find more information on the architect who created it.

I would love to visit it.

Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl is such a popular painting through the entire Mexican culture,

almost every Mexican-American has at one point seen this either in their own home or relatives’

home. I remember growing up and my dad had a big poster of this painting, and one of my

sisters had a blanket with the portrait on it.

The painting was originally done by Jesus Helguera in 1940. Helguera was born in 1910 in

Chihuahua, Mexico. In his youth, he and his parents had to flee Mexico due to the Mexican

Revolution and settled in Milan, Spain. In Spain, he was admitted to Escuela Superior de Bellas

Artes at the age of 14. His main work consisted of illustrations at the Editorial Araluce

illustrating books, magazines, and comics using Gouache. He later fled Spain going back to

Mexico now due to the Spanish Civil War. Once in Mexico, he began working mainly on murals

and even being hired by Cigarrera la Moderna; a tobacco company, to make calendars for them

. Helguera was inspired a lot by the Aztec culture and began painting idealized images of

Mexico, his ability to romanticize his subjects giving them a heroic view made him famous

throughout Mexico. 

The painting is based on an Aztec mythological legend. This is the story…

“In pre-Hispanic times, when the Aztec empire ruled Mexico, a Tlaxcala warrior fell in love with his

princess, a maiden of incredible beauty.  His name was Popocatépetl, hers was Iztaccíhuatl; Popo and

Izta for short.

When Popocatépetl asked Izta's father for her hand in marriage, he agreed, but only if Popo returned

victorious from battling the Aztecs, with the heads of his enemies to prove it.

So Popocatépetl went off to war, promising to return. 

After months of waiting, a rival of Popo's, in love with Izta himself, told the princess that her warrior

would never return because he had died in battle.  Heartbroken, Izta fell into deep despair.

When Popo finally did return carrying the heads his enemies, he found a corpse instead of bride: Izta had

died of a broken heart.

Grief-stricken, Popo carried Izta's body to the mountains, where he laid her out and stood watch over her,

day after day, night after night, until the snow covered them both and the gods took pity on them,

transforming the tragic couple into the eternal peaks of Popo and Izta, the "Smoking Mountain" watching

over the sleeping figure of the "White Lady," his love her smoldering for eternity.” (O. Diego)

The mountain that we see in the background of the subjects is Popocatepetl; “Smoking

Mountain”, an active volcano. Right next to Popocatepetl is Iztaccihuatl: “White Lady”, a

dormant volcano. This is a beautiful, tragic story, that Helguire gave life to. This is really one

of my favorite paintings because of the way that Helguera idealized this beautiful Aztec warrior

fighting for the love of his life (literary) and the beauty that he depicts on the now dead body of

Izta. Popos’ face looks strong and you see a slight grievance, which I think makes him look that

much stronger, and dare I say it attractive. Helguera gave such a beautiful idealogy to his

subjects and with such cultural respect.

                                                Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl

                                                        Jesus Helguera, 1940

                   Popocatepetl                                            Iztaccihuatl

Faustina Sumano Garcia is a native from alittle village San Juan Chilateca, Ocotlan, Oaxaca,

Mexico. Garcia was taught to embroider at the age of 6 and is now known as one of the masters

of the art in the state of Oaxaca. Embroidery is the art of treading intricate figures onto clothing

using thread and needle and to my point of view one of the hardest forms of art. Garcias’s

creation taking her sometimes an entire year to create, she does however also design and

makes the article of clothing her art goes onto. Garcia was featured in 3 magazines “ Great

Masters of Mexican Folk Art” in 1998, “Great Masters of Oaxaca Folk Art” in 2011, and “Great

Masters of Iberoamerica” in 2015. Garcia was also awarded a medal for the trajectory of

popular art and a symbolic financial support. 

Garcia’s art is absolutely fascinating, I have tried embroidering and man it’s hard work. I prise

this lady and every native that make ENTIRE clothing embedded with embroidery. The amount

of detail that Garcia places into her work are outstanding, it’s very obvious why she is a master

of the art. Her use of color and the beautiful detail she adds to the pattens is just gorgeous. I

remember growing up in Mexico I would see these beautiful patterns on the native woman that

lived in my village, they looked so beautiful.

Faustina Sumano Garcia

Works Cited 

• O. Diego, “ The legend of Popo & Izta: The story behind the image of the worrier and the maiden”, We are Latin live, https://www.wearelatinlive.com/article/12834/the-legend-of-popo-itza-the-story-behind-the-image-of-the-warrior-the-maiden

• “Jesus Helguera”, Wikiart, https://www.wikiart.org/en/jesus-helguera

• “Cathedral Basilica of Zacatecas”, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_Zacatecas

• “Seculta recognizes the work of MEAPO during these XV years”, Oaxaca.gov.mx, https://www.oaxaca.gob.mx/seculta/reconoce-seculta-el-trabajo-del-meapo-durante-estos-xv-anos/

• @dalhiasdelightme, gramho, https://gramho.com/media/2346541409484761192

• “Oaxaca textiles”, amigos grandes maestros, https://amigosgrandesmaestros.org/pieza/los-textiles-oaxaquenos/

• “Mexican Embroidery”, Vam, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/mexican-embroidery#:~:text=Embroidery%20has%20a%20long%20history%20in%20Mexico.&text=Today%20Mexican%20women%20embroider%20home,churches%20provided%20with%20'whitework'.