This is the second talk of the six-part series Vital Signs: The Visual Cultures of Maya Writing, presented by Stephen D. Houston of Brown University for the 72nd A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts.
The Maya provide strong evidence for who made texts and images, and by what means. Decipherments identify calligraphers and carvers; close study of paintings and sculptures illustrates principles of design and shows how these concepts were put into practice. The result: a virtuosic blend of individual choices and ideas held in common, expressed in breathtaking works that reveal the intent of their makers.