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Idols Behind Altars
Hardcover
Art HistoryAnthropologyMexican History
ISBN13: 9781025727677
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 478
Weight: 1.86
Height: 1.06 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Idols Behind Altars is a seminal exploration of Mexico's spiritual and artistic identity, tracing the enduring influence of pre-Hispanic traditions through centuries of colonial and modern history. Anita Brenner provides a sweeping narrative that examines how indigenous aesthetics and beliefs persisted beneath the surface of Spanish Catholicism, creating a unique cultural synthesis. This work is foundational for its analysis of the Mexican Revolution's impact on the arts and its deep dive into the roots of the Mexican Renaissance.
The text offers critical insight into the creative spirit of the Mexican people, from ancient stonework and folk crafts to the monumental muralism of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. By blending history, anthropology, and art criticism, Brenner illustrates how the idols of the past remained vital forces behind the altars of the present. Idols Behind Altars stands as an essential document for understanding the intersections of religion, politics, and visual expression in Mexico, capturing a nation in the midst of defining its modern soul while honoring its ancestral heritage.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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