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Photo, Print, Drawing Coleccion de estampas copiadas de las figuras originales, que de medio y baxo relieve, se manifiestan, en estucos y piedras, en varios edificios de la poblacion antigua nuevamente descubierta en las immediaciones del pueblo del Palenque en la Provincia de Ciudad Real de Chiapa, una de las del Reyno de Guatemala en la American Septentrional Binder's title: Coleccion de estampas / Coleccion de estampas

About this Item

Title

  • Coleccion de estampas copiadas de las figuras originales, que de medio y baxo relieve, se manifiestan, en estucos y piedras, en varios edificios de la poblacion antigua nuevamente descubierta en las immediaciones del pueblo del Palenque en la Provincia de Ciudad Real de Chiapa, una de las del Reyno de Guatemala en la American Septentrional

Other Title

  • Binder's title: Coleccion de estampas
  • Coleccion de estampas

Summary

  • The ancient Mayan city of Palenque is located on a natural shelf in Mexico's Chiapas State. It flourished as the seat of a powerful royal court in the 7th century AD, but was abandoned in the 9th century and reclaimed by the forest. It was discovered in the mid-1700s by villagers from nearby Santo Domingo do Palenque. In 1787, King Charles III of Spain ordered the governor-general of Guatemala to investigate the ruins and collect artifacts for the national museum in Madrid. The governor-general entrusted the work to a Spanish army officer, Antonio del Río, who spent five weeks that year clearing, studying, drawing, and exploring the site. Del Río's report of his findings ranks as the first substantial work of scientific archaeology produced in the Americas. Del Río hired a Guatemalan draftsman, Ricardo Almendáriz, who produced these 30 magnificent ink-and-wash drawings of the ruins at Palenque. This set from the Library of Congress is the most complete contemporary version of the Almendáriz drawings. World Digital Library.
  • The ancient Mayan ruins of Palenque, located in the state of Chiapas near the Gulf of Mexico, were first reported to the Spanish Government in 1773. In 1786, a royal order was issued to have the site thoroughly excavated and described. Artillery Captain Antonio Del Río was appointed to carry out this mission. Del Río hired Guatemalan draftsman Ricardo Almendariz, who produced these thirty sketches of the magnificent sculptured reliefs at the ruins in 1787. The random digging performed under Del Río's direction, and the unfortunate destruction of many sculptures, was followed by the shipment of many relics to Spain, as documented in his report.

Names

  • Almendariz, Ricardo, active approximately 1787.
  • Río, Antonio del, active 1786-1787.
  • Jay I. Kislak Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

  • [1787]

Headings

  • -  Maya sculpture--Pictorial works
  • -  Mayas--Antiquities--Pictorial works
  • -  Palenque Site (Mexico)--Pictorial works

Notes

  • -  Accompanied by photocopy (Acc. 1993.003.02.0001) of manuscript description by Antonio del Río that went with the drawings and which remains in the Real Academia de Historia in Madrid.
  • -  Original ink and wash drawings on watermarked Dutch laid paper, bound in a volume with a letterpress t.p. Drawn by Ricardo Almendariz for Capt. Antonio del Río, a photocopy of whose manuscript report which accompanied the drawings is also included.
  • -  Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site.
  • -  Guatemalan draftsman.
  • -  In Spanish.
  • -  Provenance: Gift of Jay I. Kislak Foundation.
  • -  Kislak accession no.: 1993.003.01.0001
  • -  Kislak accession no.: 1993.003.02.0001
  • -  NUCMC/kislak
  • -  NUCMC/vm01

Medium

  • 1 v. (30 drawings) : ink and wash ; 31 x 22 cm. + 1 item (photocopy)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Kislak MS 1010

Repository

  • Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division Jay I. Kislak Collection dcu (Acc. 1993.003.01-02.0001)

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2007574394

Access Advisory

  • Collection open for research.

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The contents of the Library of Congress Jay I. Kislak Collection are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse. The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

The Kislak Collection is open to research. Because many of the items in the collection are on exhibit in the Library of Congress’ galleries, researchers are advised to contact the Geography and Map Division and/or the Rare Book and Special Collections Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Jay I. Kislak Collection.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Almendariz, Ricardo, Active Approximately 1787, Antonio Del Río, and Jay I. Kislak Collection. Coleccion de estampas copiadas de las figuras originales, que de medio y baxo relieve, se manifiestan, en estucos y piedras, en varios edificios de la poblacion antigua nuevamente descubierta en las immediaciones del pueblo del Palenque en la Provincia de Ciudad Real de Chiapa, una de las del Reyno de Guatemala en la American Septentrional. Palenque Site Mexico, 1787. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2007574394/.

APA citation style:

Almendariz, R., Río, A. D. & Jay I. Kislak Collection. (1787) Coleccion de estampas copiadas de las figuras originales, que de medio y baxo relieve, se manifiestan, en estucos y piedras, en varios edificios de la poblacion antigua nuevamente descubierta en las immediaciones del pueblo del Palenque en la Provincia de Ciudad Real de Chiapa, una de las del Reyno de Guatemala en la American Septentrional. Palenque Site Mexico, 1787. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2007574394/.

MLA citation style:

Almendariz, Ricardo, Active Approximately 1787, Antonio Del Río, and Jay I. Kislak Collection. Coleccion de estampas copiadas de las figuras originales, que de medio y baxo relieve, se manifiestan, en estucos y piedras, en varios edificios de la poblacion antigua nuevamente descubierta en las immediaciones del pueblo del Palenque en la Provincia de Ciudad Real de Chiapa, una de las del Reyno de Guatemala en la American Septentrional. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2007574394/>.