Exhibition research for Detroit Institute of Arts exhibition of prints, drawings, and photographs, tentatively scheduled for 2019.

Contact: Clare Rogan, Curator of Prints & Drawings, crogan@dia.org    

49 Items in this Learning Collection
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Copyright
All Rights Reserved ()

Danza de los Quetzales

Accession Number
1944.1

Title
Danza de los Quetzales

Artist(s)
Carlos Mérida

Artist Nationality
Guatemalan

Object Creation Date
circa 1937-1939

Medium & Support
lithograph on paper

Dimensions
16 7/8 in x 12 1/2 in (42.86 cm x 31.75 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
This is one of a series of ten prints that depict the traditional dances of México. Mérida was the co-founder of the dance school for the Secretariat of Education (Escuela de la Danza de la Secretaría de Educación Pública), which worked to preserve the native dances of the region. In addition to this set, at this time, he produced a number of series that cataloged the popular arts and industries of Mexico and his native Guatemala. 

The dance depicted in this print has pre-Columbian origins. Believed to be originally a dance to honor the sun, thunder and rain gods, the costumes are markers of importance. The now-extinct Q'a bird was used to create the elaborate headdresses because of the birds' vibrant plumage. 

Physical Description
Centered on the page of this print are two figures. They are dressed in white shirts, with red capes over their left sholders and matching pants, both trimmed in blue. Both figures are also wearing red cone-shaped headdresses that have a large circular decoration attached with red and blue concentric circles. Both figures are faceless and have black hair. The figures hold black round objects. They are depicted in movement.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Mexico
Toltec
birds (motifs)
dancers
feathers (animal components)
folk dances
headdresses
modern and contemporary art
sacrifices

& Author Notes

All Rights Reserved