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In
this image, indigenous people draw the viewer’s attention
to the spectacle of the Maya ruins. Notice that the human subjects
have focused their attention on the edifice at the background.
Two men seen working atop the building also lead the eye backwards.
The nearly-lounging posture of the contemporary Maya workers reinforces
their role as accessories to the spectacle of the ancient ruins.
Yet the
ruins themselves are not to be ignored. Close inspection reveals
images such as the carved face at the far left and the zigzagging
pattern along the front of the façade. However the most
noteworthy architectural feature here is the corbel vault, also
present in Plates 7 and 17. This type of archway is characterized
by a flat peak, differing from the rounded arches of Roman antiquity.
Its location at the center of the lithograph draws the eye inward.
In
Incidents of Travel, Catherwood’s companion John Stephens
speaks of Labnah, a place unknown even to many of the native people
of the area. This structure emphasizes Labnah as a place of “…decaying
but still proud memorials of a mysterious people.” The print
reinforces the idea of Labnah as an enigmatic place built by people
of equal intrigue. [Spanish version].
JESSICA
DEBRUIN |
