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The Return of Quetzalcoatl
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The Return of Quetzalcoatl

mural by Orozco
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Quick Summary

"The Return of Quetzalcoatl" is a mural by Mexican artist Jos\u00e9 Clemente Orozco. The mural, created between 1932 and 1934 for Dartmouth College, contrasts the stages of human progression from a primeval paradise to a Christian, capitalist hell.1

The mural's theme is inspired by the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, a significant god in ancient Mexican mythology. Quetzalcoatl was associated with vegetation, earth, water, the morning and evening star, and was considered the patron of priests and craftsmen. The legend of Quetzalcoatl's return from the east was famously interpreted by Aztec ruler Montezuma II to mean that Spanish conqueror Hern\u00e1n Cort\u00e9s was a divine envoy. Orozco's work uses this legend to explore themes of human progress and societal decline.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. Quetzalcóatl
  2. José Clemente Orozco
  3. Latin American art - Populist art and the Mexican mural renaissance

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