Painting the Conquest : The Mexican Indians and the European Renaissance

Book by Gruzinski, Serge

Early colonial illustrated manuscripts offer proof that the Spanish conquest of Mexico did not totally extirpate pre-Columbian artistic traditions. Gruzinski's attractive introduction to these codices captures the encounter of pre-Hispanic visual language with that of Renaissance Europe, resulting in an unstable and sometimes subversive hybridized style that throws a fascinating light on the interaction of a mortally wounded culture with that of a brash but provincial interloper. The author, a Paris-based specialist in Mexican art and history, also tellingly articulates some of the central historical, religious, cultural, and material preoccupations of the late pre-Columbian and early colonial periods. But he pays little attention to relevant monumental paintings and seems unaware of the diverse purposes and wildy uneven artistic quality of his material. As a result, he somewhat weakens the argument of this informative, beautifully illustrated volume.
- Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.