Los Desmembrados

Noted Mexican muralist and painter José Clemente Orozco created between 1947 and 1948 the painting series Los Teúles an artistic narrative of historical character inspired in the relation Historia verdadera de la Nueva España written by conqueror chronicler Bernardo Díaz del Castillo. The series includes recurring scenes of battles, heroic deeds, dismembered bodies, and Pre-Hispanic rites and sacrifices. Painter Roberto Cortázar (b. México 1962) for over a year studied Los Teúles while also creating a series of abstract and figurative paintings that are a variation of 3 of Orozcos paintings from the series: El desmembrado, Cabeza flechada and Indias, all dated 1947. The book comprises a critical homage by a contemporary artist to one of the greatest exponent of 20th century Mexican art.