Landing of Cortez in Mexico
Artist
Frederick Kemmelmeyer
(American, 1788 - 1816)
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1800
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 35 x 48 in. (88.9 x 121.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 41 x 53 7/8 in. (104.1 x 136.8 cm)
Overall, Frame: 41 x 53 7/8 in. (104.1 x 136.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Object number80.181.15
Not on view
DescriptionOil on canvas painting illustrating both natives and Cortez's men on the shoreline as ships sail approach from the right. The two groups are noticeably different by the absence or presence of clothing. The natives and the men of Cortez observe each other on shore; on the shore in the background a group of men clothed in white raise a large wooden cross. The shoreline has lush foliage, many palm trees and a mountain in the far distance. Row boats are in the foreground beside the shoreline and ships advance from the right in the distance. Cortez is in the front left of the canvas in a red cloak with white trim and an olive green garment underneath, talking to one of his men who stretches his arm outward, gesturing to the ships approaching.Label TextFrederick Kemmelmeyer American, active 1788–1816 The Landing of Cortez in Mexico, ca. 1800 Oil on canvas Maryland painter Frederick Kemmelmeyer envisioned the arrival of Spanish colonizers in Mexico as a crowded mingling of bearded Europeans and nude natives. The European soldiers and monks have distinctive faces and attire that demonstrate their role and status. The locals, by contrast, are less individualized, mostly shown from behind and in identical postures. This repetition of bodies allowed the artist to build a complex historical scene despite his lack of skill in figure painting. Kemmelmeyer created similarly large and ambitious depictions of battles from the American Revolution. Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch 80.181.15 ProvenanceThe Old Print Shop, New York, NY; Purchased by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, March 2, 1949; Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch to The Chrysler Museum at Norfolk, August 1980. Exhibition History"Loan to the National Gallery," National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1953-1980. "18th Century Fair," Upper Wolfsnare Plantation, Princess Anne County Historical Society, Virginia Beach, Va., October 5 -12, 1982. "18th Century Fair," Upper Wolfsnare Plantation, Princess Anne County Historical Society, Virginia Beach, Va., October 7 - 9, 1983. "18th Century Fair," Upper Wolfsnare Plantation, Princess Anne County Historical Society, Virginia Beach, Va., October 2 - 9, 1984. "Democratic Designs: American Folk Paintings from the Chrysler Museum," Willoughby-Baylor House, Norfolk, VA, August 16, 2014 - April 5, 2015.
