Recreating the Past: Authenticity in Aztec Art
Emily Umberger will explore twp types of replications that appear in the modern Aztec corpus
Date/Time
Thursday, April 18, 2013 - Thursday, April 18, 2013
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Location
Cost
Free and open to the public.
Event Notes:
Free and open to the public.
Dr. Umberger will explore two types of replications that appear in the modern Aztec corpus. One group consists of Aztec sculptures imitating the images of previous civilizations, and the other consists of more fraudulent reproductions of Aztec art. The Aztecs' archaizing versions were displayed in the imperial capital to invoke the authority of the past and were not meant to deceive; their style of carving and modernizing additions were obvious to knowledgeable viewers. Standing in contrast are nineteenth-and twentieth century replicas many of which were meant to be accepted as Aztec originals. The difference between these two corpora is stark in that the understanding of Aztec archaism expands our view of Prehispanic culture, while the past and present acceptance of fraudulent copies has a negative and distorting effect.
Dr. Umberger is a Professor of Art History at the University of Arizona.
The lecture is being jointly sponsored by UST as part of the Generations and the Tradition of Art Lecture Series, the University of Minneaots and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Poster for Umberger event
