Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art, the new exhibition at the Met, isn’t strictly an art show, though we can approach and enjoy it via gorgeous, fantastic art alone. At its heart, it’s about ancient Maya concepts of divinity. On the one hand, it’s a survey show of Maya art and religion. On the other, it’s a sophisticated, exacting mix of disciplines. Deciphering the art we see demands not only art history but archaeology, ethnology, and linguistics. It’s full of wonders and surprises. It’s an exceptionally good exhibition.
The art is mostly from what’s called the Maya’s Classic period, from around a.d. 250 to 900. By that time, the character, genealogy, and hierarchy of Mayan gods was set, as was an iconography for their care and feeding from mere mortals. Artists visualized not only deities but the origins of the Mayan world.
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