38: Leonora Carrington’s “The Magical World of the Maya” 1963-64 Pt. 1
The Magical World of the Maya. 1963–64, casein tempera on panel.
Today, we are finally revisiting our favorite Hyena Queen Leonora Carrington, this time focusing on her epic mural “The Magical World of the Maya” from 1963-64.
It’s SO gigante that the story behind the work AND the work itself needs two whole episodes!
Check out Part 1 below 👁>👁:
Featured Music:
glaciære - "3,5km long distance (feat. Hysteric Pixie Nightmare Girl)"
https://glaciaere.bandcamp.com/album/overflow
Other Tracks:
glaciære - "shimmering dust" https://glaciaere.bandcamp.com/album/overflow
Holizna - "yesterday" https://holiznacc0.bandcamp.com/album/lofi-and-chill
Some quick updates before we dive in:
We apologize for the delay!
Soon after our last episode, we were inspired to mix things up: you know, a new year, a new studio (still very much a work in progress).
However, Stephanie has been struggling for years with - what we now know - is endometriosis and in the midst of working on the studio and this episode, her symptoms got really, really bad. Fortunately, she found a good doctor, had surgery, and she is now recovering quickly!
So despite the hardships and endless bad news, we’re so excited to still be here bringing you stories of artists who similarly lived through unimaginable and unstable times much like ours; a glimmer of hope for us artists and art lookers.
Back to the mural!
This 6ft x 14ft beaut of work features a slice of Mayan life including the sky, earth and underworld all filled with mysterious scenes, cosmological events, and mythical creatures - all brought to us through Leonora’s vision with those tiny brush marks and multitudes of layers.
Detail.
The House Opposite, 1945. Tempera on board.
Through Kati Horna, LC would meet, fall in love with and marry also newly immigrated Hungarian photographer and concentration camp survivor, Emerico “Chiki” Weisz.
She captures this new era in her 1944 painting “Chiki Your Country”, an autobiographical, fantastical and wonderfully weird landscape - a work that foreshadows her approach to the Mayan mural.
Chiki Your Country, 1944. Ink, tempera and oil on canvas.
Fast forward 20 yearish later: it’s 1963, Surrealism has faded and LC is part of a new generation of artists called the Breakaway Generation (Generación de la Ruptura) for breaking away from Muralism. And she landed a commission to paint “The Magical World of the Maya” for the grand opening of the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park!
This mural was to speak to contemporary audiences as well as create a dialogue with the archaeological objects that were to be displayed.
In order to prepare, LC found herself embarking on a wild ride (literally and figuratively) to meet with the Maya of Chiapas including the Tzotzil, Tzeltal and Lacandon.
Gertrude “Trudy” Blom, “Zinacantec musicians, Tzotzil, Navenchuac” 1958.
Her guide to Chiapas would be the badass Swiss, machete-wielding, combat boot-wearing land activist, indigenous advocate and photographer Gertrude “Trudy” Blom.
Gertrude “Trudy” Blom.
Along with getting to experience the unique wildlife and landscapes Chiapas had to offer, Trudy introduced LC to curanderos (shamans) and was able to observe secret rituals that most don’t, especially foreigners.
Back in her home in Colonia Roma in Mexico City, she took her research studying the Kʼicheʼ (Quicheʼ) Maya Popoh Vu . . .
Ixchel, Mayan Goddess of the moon, fertility, childbirth, medicine, and weaving.
. . . and combined it with her experience with the Chiapas Maya, and some Northern Renaissance inspiration like Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Hieronymus Bosch, resulting in this stunning timeless mural.
Detail, Hieronymus Bosch, “Garden of Earthly Delights”, 1503-04.
LC working on the mural, c. 1963 in her studio in Mexico City.
“The Magical World of the Maya” has been on our minds since those Tres Witches days in 2021 and in 2024, we finally decided to see it in Mexico City for ourselves! Words cannot describe seeing it in person but maybe this is a close second.
Leonora Carrington is one of our favorite artists so extra love was poured into every second of this.
So, join us as we explore how this mural came to be and stay tuned for Part 2 !
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Love from the bottom of our little corazones♡♡,
Russell and Stephanie
