Barbara E. Mundy

Professor, Art History, Fordham University

Images of Tenochtitlan, and the Aztec conquest of New Spain

Abstract:

Originally nested among symbols of sacred warfare and images of blood sacrifice, a prehispanic carving of an eagle with serpent perched atop a nopal cactus survives today on the national flag. It is the pre-eminent icon of Mexico. While its referent has changed dramatically over time, the symbolic complex of eagle, serpent and cactus has proved remarkably durable. In this talk, I show why a symbolic cluster originally associated with the Mexica city of Tenochtitlan, when unleashed on the battlefield of symbolic representations, would emerge victorious in New Spain.