Stela at Copán 1843

Frederick Catherwood created this watercolor, "Stela at Copán," in the 19th century. It depicts a Maya stela, a carved stone monument, at the ancient city of Copán in present-day Honduras. Catherwood's work is more than just a rendering of an artifact. His meticulous illustrations helped fuel the 19th-century fascination with ancient civilizations. The image creates meaning through visual codes, referencing the rich history of the Maya civilization, while it also speaks to the 19th century's colonial gaze, casting the artist as discoverer of a lost world. How does this image comment on the social structures of its time? Was it self-consciously conservative or progressive? Did it critique the institutions of art? To understand such works better, historians look to travelogues, scientific reports, and the biographies of artists like Catherwood. Art’s meaning is contingent on social and institutional contexts.