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In
this print Catherwood highlights quaint and exotic aspects of
19th-century Maya culture against the backdrop of their glorified
ancestors. Yet there is an underlying sense of the superiority
of the latter. The print shows workers from a ranch in Sabactsche,
a small village on the Yucatán peninsula. A well provides
access for the workers to the essential commodity of water, and
appears to have created a social gathering place. Rich colors
and activity in the foreground reflect the vibrant and productive
nature of this group.
As
depicted here, contemporary (19th-century) Maya are in possession
of their own fully functional and ambitiously organized society.
Yet the building at the rear is illuminated in such a way that
it overshadows the action in front of it. Through this manipulation
of light Catherwood reinforces the idea of an ancient society
too strong and beautiful for its descendants to live up to. This
conflict between old and new is a common theme in this series
of images, raising the question of whether the culture of one
era is more valuable than that of another. [Spanish
version].
JESSICA
DEBRUIN and ALYSSA RANKER
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