Art was the soul of the Aztec civilization, and it was everywhere. It adorned their buildings, their temples, and their homes. When you visit the ruins of any aztec city, you find yourself in a maze of walls. This was not just to keep intruders out; it also gave them privacy from their neighbors. Their art was a way for them to communicate with each other through symbols on their walls.

Tens of thousands of artifacts have been unearthed from these ruins depicting everything from religious scenes to war. However, there are a few misconceptions about these artworks that need to be cleared up. If you’re interested in getting more information about Aztec art or want to purchase something made by ancient artists, read on.

We’ll start with some common myths about Aztec art along with the reality behind them:

Myth 1: The Aztecs only used blood as a pigment in their artwork.

Truth: While they did use blood as a pigment sometimes, it wasn’t their primary choice. The majority of their paintings were done using mineral-based dyes and paints like red earth and charcoal instead of blood or human sacrifice.

Myth 2: The Aztecs used human skin for their paintings.

Truth: Again, this is not true

Myth 1: Aztec Art is Violent

Fact: While this might be the case for most of the art we see today, closer inspection reveals that this was probably not the case for much of their art.

Myth 2: The Aztecs Had No Individual Expression

Fact: Some of these Mesoamerican artists created work that was both beautiful and unique. You can see some of their work here.

Myth 3: Aztec Art Was Only Done by Skilled Artists

Fact: Anyone could create art. Sculptures were even made out of things like rocks and corn cobs! It was more important to put meaning into your pieces than to create them with high amounts of skill.

Think about it this way, if you could make something that displayed your thoughts then what would you create? I bet it wouldn’t be a sculpture of a guy cut in half!

There’s no doubt that Aztec art is beautiful. But there are many misconcpetions about the Aztec empire. A lot of it comes from common misconceptions and incorrect information (and some just misinformation) spread through popular media.

Tlatoani – The leader of a division called a calpulli, also known as an “ahuehuecalpan”, which was like a tribe within the Aztec empire. Tlatoani is often mistranslated as “Emperor” but this is not an accurate translation. There was no emperor, the tlatoani was just the leader of his division, or calpulli.

Tetl – This is what the Aztecs called their blocks of stone (in Nahuatl, it means “stone”). They produced many monuments using these blocks of stone.

Quetzalcoatl – Quetzalcoatl was a god in Mesoamerica and had nothing to do with feathery creatures with long tails that fly around! Quetzalcoatl was one of the gods the Aztecs believed in, he was associated with life and fertility, and he was usually depicted as a plumed serpent.

Chalchihuites – These were not weapons or daggers

Myth 1: Aztec Art is all about death and sacrifice.

Myth 2: Aztec art depicts the past.

Myth 3: We can’t know for sure what Aztec art was like because none of it survived.

Myth 4: The goal of Aztec art was primarily to glorify the state.

All these myths are false, and there is a lot more to learn about this fascinating culture than what you might assume from these common misconceptions.

Here is the first myth; that Aztec art is all about death and sacrifice. This myth exists because many of the surviving examples of Aztec art depict those things, and—as some people like to point out—those things were important in their culture, so they must be what they spent most of their time doing! However, if you look at any museum with a good collection of world cultures’ art, you will see that art depicting death and sacrifice is pretty much universal. Death is a big part of life, and every culture has rituals surrounding it (though the particulars will vary). It’s not surprising that some pieces of art deal with these concepts! However, there are many more aspects to Aztec life that are less frequently depicted in their art that deserve more attention!

1. Aztec art is just a bunch of random symbols, right?

Wrong! The Aztec artists who created the codices and murals that have survived to the present day were highly skilled and had years of training in art. Although they did use symbols and signs in their artwork, there was definitely an aesthetic element that was valued more than accuracy or realism.

Tlacuilo were the professional Aztec scribes, painters and illustrators. They were well respected members of society who had mastered both their artistic skills and their education in their chosen profession. Their work reflected their training as well as their artistic abilities.

2. Aztec art is too hard to understand or appreciate because it’s filled with pictures of gods and goddesses.

While there are many images of gods and goddesses in Aztec art, there are also many secular scenes that depict daily life. For example, some codices depict marketplaces and rulers from historical times, while others provide information about astronomy or history (like the “Aztec Calendar Stone” above).

3. Aztec art is only for people interested in ancient civilizations – I’d never be interested in something like that!

Aztec art doesn’t have to be limited to history enthusiasts. Many contemporary

The Aztec Empire conquered most of Central Mexico during the 15th Century, and as a result, their art became a highly influential cultural phenomenon in the land they conquered. They contributed to the spread of Mesoamerican culture, which had been flourishing for more than 2,000 years before the arrival of Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors.

Tlacuachero culture is a good example of this influence. The name “tlacuachero” was given by the Spanish colonizers to their subjects; it roughly translates to mean “backwater dweller,” which is how the Spaniards perceived these people who were very different from themselves. The tlacuacheros were the Totonacs of Eastern Veracruz and Northern Puebla States. Although much about Totonac culture remains unknown, historians are able to trace some vestiges of their artistic traditions back to Aztec influence.

The Mexica or Aztecs from what we can tell did not leave behind any purely pre-Columbian art forms such as architecture or pottery that would help us know more about them before they were influenced by Westerners. What is known comes from their codices and frescoes which depict both their daily lives and

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