This
1917 Palace of The Fine Arts stamp displays an incredible likeness to the
exquisite cultural center located in Mexico City. The building is described as
having , “… a large theatre,
concert hall, museum
of popular arts, and halls and galleries for paintings and other works of art.
Balcony lobbies display murals by Diego Rivera,
José Clemente Orozco,
and other Mexican artists.” (britanica.com).
On
the postage stamp the artist created a detailed likeness of the building, paying
close attention to the winged statue on top of the dome down to the individual foundation
stones.
Interestingly,
the design for this building was initiated in 1904. Adamo Boari was the
contracted designer at the beginning of the construction. It is mentioned in an
article that “Adamo Boari (October 22, 1863 – February 24, 1928) was an Italian Art Nouveau
and Art Deco
civil engineer and architect, he had a very active career in Mexico and he is
known for the construction of notable Historicist architectural works in this
country.” (wikipedia.org).
I
often wonder who or what committee was making the decision on what images
should be presented when they were creating a stamp.
There
is an inscription on the stamp under the image of the Palace of Fine Arts that
reads TEATRO NACIONAL. Given that these two words were placed just under the drawing
of the building, the words could appear to be an homage to the previous building
that once stood in its place. That building was the Great National Theater which
was designed by the Spanish architect Lorenzo de la Hidalga. “The theatre was
built between 1840 and 1844… It had a capacity of more than 3,500 people…” (wikipedia.org).
It is noted that the Great National Theater was inaugurated by Antonio Lopez de
Santa Anna, the Mexican Politician and General who “served 12 non-consecutive
presidential terms over a period of 22 years.” (wikipedia.org)
The
Great National Theater was demolished in 1901 and construction began in 1904 on
the Palace of Fine Arts. After the construction began there were problems with
the building sinking into the soil, as well as political turmoil that halted
the construction by 1913. As mentioned in our article on the Faro Venustiano
Carranza, Veracruz Lighthouse stamp, the Mexican Revolution occurred between
1910-1920. At the time the construction began on this building, Porfirio Diaz
was serving one of his seven terms of presidency, then there were several interim
and provisional presidents during that time until an elected president took
office.
After
the revolution and possibly some stability in the political realm, the “Construction
began again in 1932 under Mexican architect Federico Mariscal
and was completed in 1934.” (wikipedia.org/Palace...) It took approximately
thirty years total to complete this building.
One
of the many figures that can be seen on the stamp is of an eagle, which illustrates
some of the sculptures that adorn the building. This is a significant symbol in
the history of the Aztec and Mexican culture. On one of the buildings artistically
designed roof lines there is a sculpture of an eagle with images of Aztec
inspired faces on each side of the eagle. (alamy.com) These appear to resemble
the center image on the Aztec Sun Stone, which carries its own symbolism, also
noted in our article on the Veracruz lighthouse stamp.
In
the upper left and right corners of the stamp you can see feathered serpents that
resemble the image that is known as the Quetzalcoatl. The “Quetzalcoatl
("feathered serpent" or "plumed serpent") is the Nahuatl
name for the Feathered-Serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerican culture.”
(cs.mcgill.ca). The history of the feathered serpent can be found in many articles
written about the Aztec culture.
When
examining the stamp after having just taken a leisurely glance at it, thoughts and
questions come to mind about the choices of symbols drawn into it, the
inscription mentioning the previous building and the decision to value the
stamp at UN PESO. Are there subtle symbols designed into the stamp that might
represent the political history of the past and present during the thirty-year timeframe
of the construction of The Palace of Fine Arts?
Does the remembrance of the grandeur of the former Teatro National, that
boasted a four-year construction timeframe, play a role? Do the sculptures resembling
those of the Aztec culture offer a deeper symbolic meaning then just a blend of
ancient Mesoamerican art and the Art Nouveau style that began with the original
construction? Does the printing date of the stamp, seventeen years before the
completion of the building, have any significance politically, or culturally?
One
other inscription on the bottom of the stamp reads, Oficina Imp de Hacienda
Mexico, which according to Google translate reads Tax Office Mexico. Is it
possible that the stamp was printed as a revenue to help fund the cost of the
construction? With older stamps it is always interesting to discover the historical
facts that help to answer many of these questions or at least shed light upon
symbolic meanings of the past and present.
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