blog 5 (undirected blog)

While completing the reading guide assignment for this week, I found out (through the assignment 3 readings and the textbook reading) that figures within the Teotihuacán paintings were depicted in a profile image, except for Gods, who were painted frontally. This seems like a trivial minor observation, but in actuality it gives a much deeper meaning to their art and reflects their society’s views and also religious beliefs through the artwork, which I found fascinating. To reserve the honor of being painted frontally for only the Gods, these people were explaining their cultural beliefs and showing how they worship their Gods and hold them in the highest regard. Yet they paint individual figures in profile, even those of rulers. It shows a humbleness and civility, as well as utmost respect for their Gods. When I read that they painted only the Gods frontally, I assumed it was in comparison to those common citizens or servants shown in paintings in profile, usually in groups such as the maids to a God or the warriors going into battle. So I found it surprising that even the rulers were painted in profile, because that shows how even though they are an authority figure in the society, they still serve the Gods and view themselves as beneath the Gods, reserving the frontal depictions in art for only the Gods. This puts more of their artwork into context, and made the reliefs more interesting to me, as I noticed which figures were painted frontally and which were painted in profile (it gives the viewer a greater sense of rank to distinguish between the figures and to develop an understanding of the relationship between the figures in the piece). Another fact that I read in the assignment 3 reading link was that even though only Gods are painted frontally, the Great Goddess was painted frontally yet the Storm God was painted in profile. That makes a bold statement about the role of women in society and in regards to their authoritative status among the Teotihuacán people.