Head Pierced with Arrows, from the Los teules series
1947
José Clemente Orozco, a giant of Mexican muralism, creates a visceral scene here that fits squarely into symbolism, using dark, frantic brushstrokes to evoke pain rather than just record it. The title comes from 'Los teules,' referring to the Nahuatl word for 'gods' or 'demons'—what the Aztecs called the Spanish conquistadors. Instead of a heroic arrival, we see a skeletal, agonizing face riddled with arrows in deep blues and bone whites, a stark reminder that these 'gods' brought destruction.
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