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Meant to submit it last Friday for Day of the Dead but I forgot to do so 
Anyway this is a drawing of the Lord and Lady of Mictlan (one of the Nahua underworlds) - Lord Mictlantecuhtli on the left and Lady Mictlancihuatl on the right. They are still venerated today by indigenous people and outside of these cultures by others under altered identities like the popular Santa Muerte whose worship is increasing in Mexico and the United States. They were venerated by the Mexica during a two-month long (40 days 1 month=20 days) ceremony of their year count - the xiuhpohualli (a cycle of 365 days). The two months were called the Miccailhuitontli (Feast to the Revered Dead) and the Huey Miccailhuitontli (Feast to the Greatly Revered Dead) and they were celebrated either between July 12-August 20th or between August 8th-September 16th depending on whose time correlation you go by. During the Spanish colonial period the festival date was changed after the Spanish clergy tried to eradicate everything related to the pre-hispanic religions. Luckily they failed to eliminate this festival and as a compromise moved it to November 1st and 2nd to be closer to the Christian celebrations known as Feast of all Saints Day (Nov 1st) and Feast of all Souls Day (Nov 2nd). Nowadays these two days are known as Day of the Dead.
This festival is about celebrating and venerating the Dead. But, it is also about celebrating Life and the living. In Nahua thought, life and death are not mutually exclusive but rather two parts of one dualistic reality. Because of this, I added green to the background - a symbol of life, vegetation, fertility etc. In contrast to the darkness representing the underworld and death. The stars in the darkness is meant to show the 'cosmos' which contrasts with the earthly, terrestrial green. The skeletal look of the Lord and Lady of the Underworld further contrasts with the orange marigolds (symbolic flowers related to this festival) which again represent life.
Done with marker, color pencil, gouache and acrylics
Anyway this is a drawing of the Lord and Lady of Mictlan (one of the Nahua underworlds) - Lord Mictlantecuhtli on the left and Lady Mictlancihuatl on the right. They are still venerated today by indigenous people and outside of these cultures by others under altered identities like the popular Santa Muerte whose worship is increasing in Mexico and the United States. They were venerated by the Mexica during a two-month long (40 days 1 month=20 days) ceremony of their year count - the xiuhpohualli (a cycle of 365 days). The two months were called the Miccailhuitontli (Feast to the Revered Dead) and the Huey Miccailhuitontli (Feast to the Greatly Revered Dead) and they were celebrated either between July 12-August 20th or between August 8th-September 16th depending on whose time correlation you go by. During the Spanish colonial period the festival date was changed after the Spanish clergy tried to eradicate everything related to the pre-hispanic religions. Luckily they failed to eliminate this festival and as a compromise moved it to November 1st and 2nd to be closer to the Christian celebrations known as Feast of all Saints Day (Nov 1st) and Feast of all Souls Day (Nov 2nd). Nowadays these two days are known as Day of the Dead.
This festival is about celebrating and venerating the Dead. But, it is also about celebrating Life and the living. In Nahua thought, life and death are not mutually exclusive but rather two parts of one dualistic reality. Because of this, I added green to the background - a symbol of life, vegetation, fertility etc. In contrast to the darkness representing the underworld and death. The stars in the darkness is meant to show the 'cosmos' which contrasts with the earthly, terrestrial green. The skeletal look of the Lord and Lady of the Underworld further contrasts with the orange marigolds (symbolic flowers related to this festival) which again represent life.
Done with marker, color pencil, gouache and acrylics
Image size
600x911px 495.33 KB
© 2012 - 2024 Kamazotz
Comments34
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You're really good. Nice job