- Idol at Copan
- Creator:
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- Frederick Catherwood (1799-1854)
- Description:
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- Lithograph From Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan London; Catherwood, 1844
- Curatorial Notes:
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- A trained architect, Frederick Catherwood teamed up with the American travel writer, John Lloyd Stephens, and journeyed twice to Central America during 1839-1842 intending to publish pictures and narrative of little known but fabled areas. This image is one of immense grandeur, but conventionally it could not be considered sublime, because such were intended to signal divine awesomeness. Maya ruins were outside the Christian register, thus termed “Idol” by Catherwood, making its context that of curiosity, not reverence.
- Photography:
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- Princeton University Library Digital Imaging Studio
- Identifier:
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- ark:/88435/fx719s842
- Edm rights:
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- No Known Copyright
- Range label:
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- Logical