Xochiquetzal, the Mexica (Aztec) goddess of beauty, love and the arts, is portrayed here as a blue-eyed, bare-breasted woman. Red markings on her skin reference her male counterpart, Xochipilli, and counterbalance the scarlet flower of the nopal (cactus) in front of her. She is adorned with flowers, a symbol of fertility associated with the goddess. These blooms, likely the hallucinogenic Brugmansia, commonly known as Angel’s Trumpet, could also refer to the ecstatic state associated with artistic creation. Tlaxcaltec artist Guillermo Meza drew inspiration from pre-Hispanic cultures and perhaps even from Xochiquetzal as a creative muse.

Xochiquetzal, la diosa mexica (azteca) de la belleza, el amor, y las artes, es retratada aquí como una mujer de ojos azules y senos descubiertos. Las marcas rojas en su piel se refieren a su contraparte masculina, Xochipilli, y equilibran la flor escarlata del nopal ante ella. Está adornada con flores como símbolos de fertilidad propias de la diosa. Estas floraciones parecen ser de trompeta de ángel (Brugmansia), un alucinógeno vinculado al estado de éxtasis asociado con la creación artística. En esta imagen, el artista tlaxcalteca Guillermo Meza se inspiró en las culturas prehispánicas y talvez hasta en Xochiquetzal como musa.

From the exhibition: Mexican Modernism: Revolution & Reckoning, August 29, 2019 - August 30, 2020.
Alison Rossi, Director of Learning and Community Engagement, 2019.