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Catalog Data

Artist:
Marsden Hartley, born Lewiston, ME 1877-died Ellsworth, ME 1943  Search this
Medium:
oil on board
Dimensions:
25 x 29 in. (63.5 x 73.7 cm)
Type:
Painting
Date:
1932
Gallery Label:
During his visit to Mexico City in 1932, Marsden Hartley was entranced by the two snow-capped volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Ixtaccihuatl, surrounding the city. He devoted much of his time to studying ancient Aztec and Mayan artifacts and primordial myths of creation. According to legend, a Tlaxcaltecas chief promised the hand of his beautiful daughter Iztacc to the brave warrior Popo. Falsely told that her lover had been killed in battle, the girl died from grief. When the young warrior returned, he took her body into the hills and knelt beside her to keep watch. To protect them, the gods covered their forms in eternal snow.
Topic:
Landscape\Mexico  Search this
Disaster\volcanic eruption  Search this
Landscape\mountain\Popocateptl  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sam Rose and Julie Walters
Object number:
2004.30.3
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
On View:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2nd Floor, North Wing
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk75166e48d-4437-4279-a007-055df4e32b34
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_2004.30.3