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This lithograph depicts a Totonac temple located in Tusapan, a site in modern day Tuxpan, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The Totonacs, an Indigenous Mesoamerican people, constructed these stepped temples as part of their ceremonial centers, often dedicated to deities associated with agriculture and fertility.
The scene captures the temple partially overgrown by dense jungle vegetation. In the foreground, two hunters with rifles, possibly European or mestizo figures, confront a jaguar, a symbol of power and mysticism in Mesoamerican culture.
The lithograph was created by Carl Nebel and published in Paris in 1836 as part of his Voyage Pittoresque et Archéologique, which documented pre-Columbian ruins and landscapes throughout Mexico.
Nebel visited Tuzapan, a site near the ancient city of El Tajín, in the early 1830s. According to archeologist Leonardo López Luján, Nebel may have been the first to illustrate and describe the so-called temple ruins at this site:
What Nebel did discover during the [the expedition to Tajín] was Tuzapan, a Late Postclassic site (1200–1521 CE)....
Nebel himself wrote of Tuzapan: "This city seems not to have been of great size; but its ruins, which have almost disappeared, still give an idea of the grand character of its monuments and constructions of all kinds. Only one monument has been preserved from it, which is known to be a temple."
Carl Nebel's Voyage Pittoresque (Paris, 1836)
Carl Nebel's 1836 book Voyage Pittoresque et Archéologique is a landmark in the artistic documentation of Mexico, blending romanticized portrayals with a keen observational eye. A German architect and painter, Nebel arrived in Mexico in 1829, inspired by writings of explorers and chroniclers such as Humboldt and Bernal Díaz del Castillo. Indeed, Humboldt would publicly praise Nebel's "arduous and important" Mexican work. Over five years, Nebel traveled extensively, capturing scenes in Puebla, Guadalajara, Zacatecas, and Mexico City, among other regions. Back in Paris, he created a book of 50 lithographs, many of which were hand-colored, depicting both archaeological sites and the contemporary life of a nation newly visible to European travelers. His work reflects the allure of the picturesque through a methodical approach, representing Mexico’s landscapes, people, and architecture, appealing to the European fascination with the Americas during a period of increasing accessibility.
Carl Nebel (1805-1855) was a German artist and lithographer known for his detailed and vivid depictions of Mexico in the mid-19th century. After traveling to Mexico in the 1820s, Nebel captured the country's landscapes, architecture, and everyday life through a series of lithographic views that gained widespread acclaim. His most notable work, Voyage pittoresque et archéologique dans la partie la plus intéressante du Méxique (1836), featured 50 hand-colored lithographs that offered European audiences a rare visual insight into Mexican culture and scenery. Nebel's work was characterized by uncommon attention to detail and color, making his lithographs important visual documents that chronicled Mexico during a period of significant social and political change. His work was also featured in The War Between the United States and Mexico (1851), perhaps the most ambitious color plate book of the Mexican War, on which he collaborated with George Wilkins Kendall.
![Map of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies [Insets of Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica and Panama Railroad]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/70686.jpg)
