Monday, October 9, 2017

Tlayacapan: a triptych

Fray Diego Durán, an early Augustinian chronicler, described Tlayacapan as a "veritable Garden of Eden." A wild and romantic place, located in northern Morelos state just below Mexico City, it is surrounded by the scenic, basalt bluffs of the Sierra Tepozteca.  
   The mission here started out modestly in 1534 as a visita of nearby Totolapan, but within twenty years the little stone chapel had grown into a major priory in its own right. 
An impressive structure, the church and adjacent convento are enclosed by a spacious walled atrium. Together with the wealth of early murals in the church and throughout the convento, Tlayacapan is artistically one of the most rewarding of the Morelos monasteries to visit. *
On the north side of the church, a long arcade stretches in front of the convento. Behind the largest archway lies the former open chapel, the oldest section of the monastery.
The Open Chapel
Two, large side rooms open beside the chapel’s vaulted sanctuary. Large fragments of 16th century murals adhere to the walls of this area, or anteporteria—the first group in a series of remarkable frescoes at Tlayacapan. 
In this post we focus on one of the better preserved of the murals, an unusual triptych on the east wall. Executed in the style of the Renaissance engravings from which they were freely adapted, the monochrome frescoes illustrate three key biblical episodes relating to the birth and early life of Christ.
On the right, the smallest panel depicts the Visitation (Luke 1:39-56). Mary greets Elizabeth, the aging mother-to-be of John the Baptist, beneath a portrait of her husband the prophet Zacharias—to our knowledge a unique portrayal in early mural art. 
   An outcropping of the distinctive regional Sierra Tepozteca is seen in the landscape behind.
Above the center doorway is another rare portrayal: the Dream of Joseph after he discovers Mary's pregnancy (Matthew 1:19/20.) 
   An angel hovers in a cloud above the sleeping man, saying "Arise Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife." 
In the background is a building complex, presumably the monastery of Tlayacapan.
The largest panel depicts The Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2: 23-24) on the left, showing the infant Jesus in the arms of a sumptuously attired rabbi. To his right, Mary and Joseph pray, accompanied by a group of draped figures who crowd through the doors of the Temple—all drawn in precise detail. Again, a hilltop church appears though the archway behind.
Grotesque style borders magnify the impact of the murals. Mythical creatures—part man, part lion, part fish and part plant—cavort along the walls, symbolizing life in all its aspects. 
Stylistically, the murals and friezes are similar to those at Oaxtepec, just down the road and may be the work of the same itinerant group of artists. 
Tlayacapan was one of the worst hit communities by the September 19 earthquake—see our main blog. There is no word yet on how the extensive convento murals have fared.
Look for details on the many barrio chapels at Tlayacapan in forthcoming posts on our main site.
text © 2017 Richard D. Perry
images by the author except where noted

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