Mesoamerican Art Analysis

In Mesoamerican art, there are many different styles, materials, and iconographic images used to convey different messages. The iconographic images of gods are present throughout different cultures because in many civilizations, the rulers will change but the gods are still the same. While rulers and gods both play large roles in the artworks studied from the Mesoamerican cultures during the Early Preclassic period through the Late Post-Classic period, the depictions of gods and the supernatural hold a greater emphasis than the rulers.
The Olmec culture, from the Early Formative to Late Formative time period, was known for having realistic as well as iconic iconographic artworks that were used to describe messages. One of the main facial, iconographic

Another piece that shows the Maize god is Monolith 1. Not only does it portray the Maize God but also the four corners of the universe which is a recurring image that is understood as part of the creation story believed by Mesoamerican cultures. In Mayan culture, the Maize God is portrayed during the Late Formative period in a mural at San Bartolo. The mural has an imagery used to represent the four corners of the universe similar to Monolith 1. In the Late Classic period, the maize god is portrayed again yet as his rebirth from the turtle shell on the Plate with the Hero Twins and Rebirth of the Maize God. This image is a straight depiction of the story told in the Popol Vuh, which is the detailed creation story written by the

They are represented in many different art pieces, mainly in the Late Formative period. The story, told in the Popol Vuh, states in a nutshell how the Hero Twins were born from the daughter of the god of the underworld. Their father had been killed by the gods of the underworld yet when they are commanded to play the gods of the underworld, they win and are able to resurrect their father, who is the Maize God. They also defeated 7 Macaw, the false sun god. The Popol Vuh also goes into the story that is then represented during the Late Formative period in Stela 5 from Izapa, Stela 1 from Nakbe, and Structure Sub-1 Pinturas Group. Stela 5 portrays the false sun that was killed by the hero twins. Stela 1 shows the Hero Twins participating in ritual bloodletting and is also the earliest portrayal of the Hero Twins. Lastly, Structure Sub-1 Pinturas Group shows the Twins offering animals to the creator deity and is a symbol of sacrifice. The importance of these representations is that they are visual representations of the written religious creation story that is the only written creation story from the