.
Mesoamerican Art
.
The Mesoamerican collection is one of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art’s flagship holdings, as it is one of the strongest collections of objects from the Formative period (1800 BCE–200 CE) in the United States. It includes works by Olmec, Tlatilco, Chupícuaro, and West Mexican artists, with a particular focus on figurines. In addition, there are significant pieces dating from the Classic period (200–900 CE) by Teotihuacano and Maya artists, among others, including a mural fragment depicting a ritual for the renewal of agricultural fertility from Teotihuacan and a tenoned architectural element depicting the Maya sun god Kinich Ahau. This collection was carefully assembled by Douglas Bradley, who served as curator from 1979 through 2013. The collection’s scope has recently been expanded to include contemporary artists who are directly drawing on motifs and styles from these ancient cultures to emphasize the significance and impact of the past on people today.
