The Mexican Wall Relief accomplished in the limestone around 795 will be addressed in the following paper. This excellent artwork belongs to the art of Maya and can be acclaimed as a traditional piece of Maya art addressing religious themes along with authority adoration ideas. Evaluating this relief, it can be said that it may be well numbered among the most outstanding and significant pieces of the art of Maya featuring great accomplishment, extravagant composition, and deep thematic content.
First of all, addressing this relief, it should be stated that the work of art under consideration represents the art of Maya with its deeply religious overtones, ambiguous ideas, an unconventional approach to the basic methods, and conceptions of limestone images creation. The lines of the carved image are sharp and straight with clear visibility of contours; this suggests that its author has a sharp mind and outward personality. The relief features rather unexpected juxtapositions of proportions and shapes. These juxtapositions feature unusual, and it can be even said, abnormal form combinations for limestone works’ conception.
Thus, the conclusion can be made that the author of this relief was inspired by the idea to depicting the personages shown in the relief in an unconventional and, thus, attracting way and definitely aimed to exalt them, and lay some propagandistic and strongly religious ideas about the depicted ones upon the audience. Probably, the author is deliberate in the choice of this shape harmony as such lines represent the certain mood and particular ideas including the ideas on the search of meaning in life, understanding phenomena of the surrounding world, desire to find new ways of world perception, and seeing one’s own personality and the pursuit for some other sources of enlightenment including the connection with the nature, divine things and the Universe.
Next, the relief can be evaluated as having a row of uneasily noticed objects which is relevant for the art of Maya. In this painting, the author seems to have an objective to impress the audience by the depth of one’s religious approach to the creation of this piece of art. Thus, one applies unconventional strategies and depicts a row of objects which are inconsiderably noticed on these carved images. These objects are mainly nature-related including unusual living beings, spirits, and gods.
Finally, the relief’s composition is set around the huge portrayal of Maya’s idol.
Speaking about the connotation the author wanted to put into his work, it seems that it appears as a religious implication to the important life-related matters for the people of Maya along with the ideas of authority adoration. The relief’s consideration can be described as presenting a good impression on the use of volume and space; it appears to look larger than it is mainly on the reason of the shape harmony and the organization of the joint parts.
Concluding on all the information related above, it should be stated that the Mexican Wall Relief can be evaluated as an excellent piece of art representing the art of Maya addressing religious themes and authority adoration ideas. This relief can be described as one of the vivid examples of such pivotal tendency by the people of Maya. The significance of this work of art can be evaluated as very important for the understanding of the way of thinking of the Maya people along with their primary values and endeavors.