MAYAN NOBLE
Acrylic on canvas 120cm x 85 cm
Most likely an ancestor of K'inich Janaab' Pakal
(pictured below). The ancient sculptor who moulded this meloncholy portrait for Palenque's Temple Of The Sun achieved a moving naturalism, whereas the artistic expression of the sculpture below is more traditional.
The ornament linking the bridge of the nose to the forehead conforms to the Mayan canons of beauty.
acrylic on canvas 120cm x 85cm
K'inich Janaab' Pakal, also known as Pacal the Great
(603-683)
(603-683)
During the height of the classic Maya civilisation Lord Pacal ruled the empire of Nah Chan Palenque (in present day Chiapas Mexico) for 52 years. He is revered as the chief engineer who guided the Mayan mission of inscripting stone monuments with precise astronomical and astrological information during the 10th Baktun (435-830AD).
Pacal saw expansion of Palenque's power in the western part of the Maya states, and initiated a building program at his capital that produced some of Maya civilization's finest art and architecture.
After his death, "Pacal the Great" was worshiped as a god, and said to communicate with his descendants. He was buried within the