Maya Art and Architecture by Mary Ellen Miller

From the Publisher

From temple to tomb, she explains how and why the Maya made their greatest works. New archaeological discoveries at Copan, Tikal, and Palenque—to name but a few—are included, and the author draws on recent decipherments in Maya writing to provide fresh interpretations of Maya sculpture and ceramics. For the art historian, student, and traveler, Maya Art and Architecture will prove indispensable. Chapters on Maya architecture and the materials of Maya art set the stage for discussions of the sculpture of different time periods and regions, the famous murals at Bonampak, the dramatic new findings at Cacaxtla, and the painted Maya ceramics of the first millennium a.d. The author has organized the material in new ways, considering the nature of the human form in Maya art, for example, and the role of the hand-held object.

Library Journal

"The ancient Maya have left an incomparable wealth, and this book attempts to frame ways to see this remarkable trove," explains Miller (art history, Yale), who takes an innovative approach to her subject by asking some fundamental art-historical questions. Addressing more the "whats" than the "whys," she seeks to organize Maya art afresh, in a way that will benefit students and those with a general interest in the subject. She also details new archaeological discoveries in Copan, Tikal, and Palenque, as well as recent decipherments of Maya writing. Part of the "World of Art" series, which provides the widest available range of books on art in all its aspects, this high-quality, illustrated, indexed, and inexpensive trade paperback is recommended for public and academic libraries, and specialized collections.--Sylvia Andrews, Indiana State Lib., Indianapolis Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

YA-Three excellent series titles. Contemporary African Art emphasizes the changes in the art of this continent in the last half of the 20th century. Maya Art examines the reasons behind the artwork and ways the buildings were constructed, incorporating new archaeological findings. They include recent deciphers of Mayan writing that provide understanding to the ceramics, sculpture, architecture, murals, and books. Amazingly, op art and pop art have become almost traditional. With chapters on performance art (Rauschenberg), video, digital, and virtual reality, New Media truly introduces the new wave. The paper in these compact books is of high quality, resulting in outstanding, almost platelike reproduction of the numerous color and black-and-white photos. The illustrations are fully captioned and they alone could justify purchase of these titles.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

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Table of Contents