Full Description
By
the mid-twentieth century, ancient Mexican artifacts had undergone a striking
transformation. Once dismissed as anthropological curiosities, sought after
more for their ethnographic value than aesthetic merit, they had become
prized artworks that were prominently displayed in major US museums, featured
in advertisements and Hollywood films, and shown adorning the homes of
celebrities.
At the center of this shift was Earl
Stendahl, a savvy Los Angeles art dealer who played a pivotal role in shaping
public and institutional perceptions of these objects. Through strategic
marketing and a keen eye for opportunity, he repositioned these artifacts,
selling them to an elite clientele that included movie stars, wealthy
collectors, and museum curators. In doing so, he helped define a new canon of
"ancient American art."
Beneath this glamorous facade,
however, lies a darker narrative of the looting, smuggling, and forgery that
fueled this midcentury craze, exposing how the desire for authenticity and
prestige often came at the expense of ethical collecting practices and
cultural heritage. This book brings together art history, museum studies, and
the politics of the antiquities trade, offering both a social history and a
critical examination of how ancient Mexico's past was sold in
twentieth-century America.
