An attractive lithograph showing the art forms of the Pacific, after the eponymous mural by the talented Mexican intellectual Miguel Covarrubias. Many examples of traditional art forms are shown overlaid on a map that includes all of the Americas, Oceania, and most of southeastern and eastern Asia. Art forms shown include Haida Totems, Easter Island Heads, Aboriginal Australian Heads, Kazak Mozaiks, Tartar engravings, and much more. The depictions shown are extensive and fascinating.
This printing was based on a mural of the same name featured at the 1939 San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition. Covarrubias was commissioned to create a series of murals, named the "Pageant of the Pacific," which would be featured in the Pacific House on Treasure Island. Covarrubias and his assistant Antonio Ruiz created six maps for this commission, with subjects regarding the peoples, flora and fauna, art, and more, all focused on the greater Pacific region. The works which were produced were a prime example of the importance of Mexican muralists in the United States and were a major attraction at the exposition.
Miguel Covarrubias was a renowned Mexican intellectual and artist, interested in the politics of the modern world but also fascinated by pre-Columbian American cultures. This historical interest often seeped into his artistic style, and many of his works were evidently influenced by art from traditional American cultures. This is evident in his present work, which would also have been informed by his extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia. These voyages were funded by several high profile prizes, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Covarrubias was perhaps most popular among a general audience for his caricatures, and his work appeared repeatedly in The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. His caricatural style can be seen in certain aspects of the present work.