Twin tutelary presences of the Valley of Mexico, the volcanoes Popocatépetl (Smoking Mountain) and Iztaccíhuatl (the White Woman) have fascinated many artists, both Mexican and foreign. A source of inspiration to the wide range of art works gathered together in this book, they are idyllic landscape in the paintings of José María Velasco, mythical obsession in the unclassifiable work of Dr. Atl, mute witnesses to the destruction of the Consul in Malcolm Lowry’s powerful novel, and epic setting in the austere photographs of Armando Salas Portugal and Hugo Brehme.
Published on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, “El mito de dos volcanes” constitutes a celebration, in words and images, of these faithful guardians of the history, art, and culture of Mexico.
