La sombra del Popo (The Shadow of Popo)

Location
Popocatépetl Iztaccíhuatl - Popocatépetl National Park Puebla Mexico
Date
1942
Materials
Atl-colors on celotex
Dimensions
124 x 178 cm
Credit
Museo Nacional de Arte, INBA
Locate on map View in timeline About the artist

Gerardo Murillo, better known as “Dr. Atl,” spent two years living on the mountainside of the Popocatépetl (Popo), a still-active volcano southeast of Mexico City. Popo and its pair, lztaccihuatl, are the most iconic symbols in the Mexican landscape. Here, Atl shows us an unusual perspective from the top of Popo: the triangular shadow of the volcano stretches out over the fields below, emphasizing their geometry. The artist painted The Shadow of Popo using “Atl colors”: mixtures of pigments, kerosene and wax he created to produce heightened color effects.