Throughout this exhibition, Catherwood illustrates the Maya ruins
along with indigenous people. This print illustrates a sense of
discovery, seen by the Maya man walking inside the ruin. Catherwood
recreates this sense of discovery not only for the explorers themselves
but also for the indigenous people who hadn’t truly explored
the ruins. The Maya person who stands and points away from the
ruin suggests he wants to communicate his findings with others.
By adding a dog to the picture, Catherwood also suggests the idea
of domestication, of the ancient ruins and of indigenous people.
From his reproduction of each symbol of the building’s
iconography, it is understood that Catherwood has a deep interest
in the ruins. At the same time he adds an underlying sense of
civilization lost and wild. The body language of the indigenous
people, along with the wild jungle covering the ruins, creates
for Catherwood’s audience the sense of an ancient and untamed
civilization. [Spanish version].
VIVIANA SALCEDO |