Latin American Court at San Francisco Worlds Fair 1940

This lithograph, made in 1940 by David P. Chun, depicts the Latin American Court at the San Francisco World's Fair. The architecture brings together the old and new worlds: the church tower on the left contrasts with the Mayan-style pyramid on the right, featuring a stylized sun. The sun, or solar deity, is a potent symbol appearing in cultures from ancient Egypt to the Incas. It represents life-giving energy, illumination, and divinity. This archetype migrates and reappears; for instance, consider its transformation into the radiant halo in Christian iconography. Here, it merges with pre-Columbian Mesoamerican traditions, referencing the cyclical nature of time and existence. Such symbols trigger a psychological response, a kind of collective memory. The artist, perhaps unconsciously, taps into these deep-seated associations. The emotional impact comes from our innate connection to these symbols. They echo through history, continually reborn, each time inflected with new cultural meaning.