PXL_20250418_185445153

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:49:23 +0100

Staircase murals

To produce these three murals (chronologically the first to be painted by the artist, in 1971) Fernando Castro Pacheco chose the theme of the Mesoamerican perception of the world divided into five regions, in the Mayan version: East, South, West, North and Centre. The artist solved the problem of having only three walls to work with by representing three regions (North, South and Centre) in the central mural, so that North is depicted at the top, the Centre in the middle, and South at the bottom. The principal figure here is a Mayan man emerging from an ear of maize, as described in the "Popol Vuh", the sacred book of the Maya. The gods contemplate their creation.

Within the sober colours used by the artist, we can also see the rich foliage of the maize plant, symbolizing the creation of all life.

The mural to the left represents the West, where the sun dies each day, where the great star sinks into the mysterious darkness of night. In this place of shadows dwells the jaguar, child of the night and master of the nocturnal ambush, a creature of death and a terror for men. The dark colours help make the scene of demons, skulls and sinister priests yet more baneful.

In contrast, the mural to the right, representing the East, is all light and gaiety, for the sun has been reborn and illuminates the lives and creativity of the ancient Maya. Here a protective hand is extended and the whole scene manifests fruitful human labour. The benevolent winds that bring rains from the god Chaac come from the East to make the earth fertile and produce the harvest.