The experience of visiting sites like Chichén Itzá and Uxmal today is very different from what Dodge encountered in the early 1930s, before their histories as ceremonial locations for Maya people were widely known and Uxmal was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The House of Governors at Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico
One of the most spectacular buildings at Uxmal is known as the House of the Governors. It features a pyramidal base topped by an intricately decorated palace. Both the photograph and the painting above share a closely cropped composition that could only be attained by climbing the steps to the top of the structure. In Dodge’s rendition, the high pointed arch is emphasized by a shadowed gradient from purple at the narrow top to orange below, intensifying its already striking appearance.
Views of the Nunnery at Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico
Dodge devotes multiple paintings to different view of the Nunnery at Uxmal. This building was constructed in the same period as the House of Governors, with four sections forming a quadrangle. The Nunnery was also a site of significant research for Frans Blom in the 1930s, when he led a team taking measurements in preparation for construction of the Maya Temple at the Chicago World’s Fair.
The Nunnery at Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico
In some depictions, Dodge focuses on the progressive decay at the site. His strong brushwork and choice of bright colors clearly echo Impressionist influences from his early studies in Paris.
PREVIOUS SECTION: Chichén Itzá
NEXT SECTION: Teotihuacán