Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc, Maya, Mexico 725 vs. Venus of Urbino, Titian, 1538

The women of Mayan culture played a vital role in religious rituals. Because fertility was an important theme in Mayan culture, the women depicted in art where often adorned in extravagant jewelry. Although Lady Xoc, the Sheild Jaguar’s wife, is knelling beneath her husband, her extravagant headdress and necklaces show her importance in society. In this relief, Lady Xoc is piercing her tongue with a barbed wire to signify the birth of a son to the Lord’s other wife. The fertility of Mayan women was something cherished by their culture. Women were adorned and the key parts of religious practices that worshipped new offspring. Women in Italy during the Renaissance were idealized for different reasons. Venus of Urbino was the idealized women and wife for patron Guidobaldo. Women were seen as sexual figures and this women looks as though she is offering herself to the viewer as her maids search for her clothing. Unlike Lady Xoc, the Venus is not participating in any sort of religious ritual. Although the color originally on the Shield Jaguar has faded, there is an evident deep contrast in the reds and whites of the Venus of Urbino. The pale white skin of her body makes the Venus seem pure. The colors also organize the painting, the woman is reclining on a diagonal and the reds from the cushion and the maid’s skirt bring the viewers eye to a diagonal. In Mayan culture, women were nearly worshipped as important integrals to society for fertility purposes, in Italy women were seen as important integrals for pleasurable pursuits. 

Presentation of captives to Lord Chan Muwan, Maya, room 2 of structure 1, Bonampak, Mexico, 790 vs. Third of May, 1808, Francisco Goya, Madrid, Spain, 1815

The important aspects of Mayan culture recorded in the Bonampak mural demonstrate warriors surrounding captives. The artists placed decorated warriors on the top and bottom terraces of the mural. In between to the two tower levels are the captives who are not in as decorated clothing and lie on the stairs. In the top center of the Bonampak mural, a central warlord is holding and staff and seems to be demanding something of the naked and knelling captive. Below the knelling captive is a dead captive sprawled out in front of the Lord. Surrounding the deal captive are numerous other naked captives awaiting their deaths by the Lord. Captives were often slaughtered for sacrifice or for the purposes of war. Because the Bonampak mural was probably not patron and approved by Lord Chan Muwan himself, the painting offers an eyewitness view to what life was like in Mayan culture at the time. The artist highlighted the power of the Lord in his clothing and stature in comparison to the captives that surrounded him. In contrast to the Mayan outlook on violence in Society is the view of the Spanish massacre during the early 19^th century through the eyes of Francisco Goya. In Goya’s, Third of May, 1808 a French firing squad attacks a group of Spanish peasants. The peasants, who have more facial expression than the Captives of Lord Chan, show empathy and horrified anguish as they are about to be murdered. Not unlike the Bonampak mural, the powerful murders and easily recognizable by their uniforms while they peasants wear rags in comparison. The violent scene in Third of May is much more dramatic than the scene on the Bonampak mural, but both artists cleverly show the empowered and the powerless on different sides of the frame (Bonampak mural in the middle, Third of May on the left side).

Chartres Cathedral vs. Castillo Temple (Maya)

Select and fully identify two examples of sacred spaces from different cultures, one of which must be from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each space accommodates both the beliefs and practices within its culture. 

Chartres Cathedral in Chartres France and the Castillo (Mayan) in Chichen Ista Mexico both represent places of worship but for two completely different cultures and theological views. Size and exterior were both important facets during the construction of these buildings. The Mayans, whose religion was polytheist and believed the solar calendar played an integral role in their daily life, modeled their temples with such designs. The Steps on the Castillo sum to 365, as many days as there are in the year. Although the Mayans did not have access to compasses, they still were able to angle the temple in position with the sun so that the shadow takes the shape of a serpent that slithers along the pyramids face. The Chartres Cathedral is meant to be seen from the interior by the worshippers rather than viewed from the outside. The Chartres Cathedral also has a play on light in the Virgin and Child and angels detail of stain glass that is meant to transform the interior of the cathedral into a mystical lux nova (new light). The interior of the Castillo temple housed royal burial chambers and figures of fallen warriors. It is also believed sacrifices would be housed in these temples. Because there is not much room for light to enter the temple, the Castillo was not primarily used as a worship gathering place on the interior. The Chartres Cathedral’s primary propose as a sacred building was to hold religious gatherings for the audience to hear sermons and see the relics important to Christianity. The Chartres Cathedral dramatic interior elevation and nave is designed to accommodate worshippers and allow for the central focus of the church to the alter located in the transept. The design of Gothic architecture allowed worshipers to congregate inside in large numbers. The Mayan's religious belief focused more on sacrificing people and animals to their gods to receive thanks in return. Castillo accommodates the sacrificial belief of the Mayans because it houses the sacrifices as offerings to the gods. The long steps to the top of the Castillo temple create a painful enough journey that entering the temple would not be something the common folk would do. On the contrary, the Chartres Cathedral is designed to allow easy access for many people to view the relics and her about their single god with no sacrifices involved. While Castillo and other Mayan temples were inspired by the mountains surrounding the landscape, the Chartres Cathedral and other Gothic cathedral’s relied on the decedent designs of the architect while following the rules of Gothic architecture.