In Aztec mythology, Tonatiuh was the sun god, his name taken from the verb “to shimmer." Aztec people considered him the leader of Tollan, and he ruled during the era of the fifth sun era, appearing as the dawn in fiery red, vanquishing the fourth sun. Tonatiuh was portrayed with a blonde wig, red beard and adorned in gold, and when the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado arrived in Mexico, by some accounts, due to his fortuitous hair coloring, was mistaken for Tonatiuh. This aided and abetted his subjugation of the Aztec empire and, subsequently, much of Central America including Guatemala (where he was governor), Honduras and El Salvador.
Tonatiuh. The Son the Sun is a series in which photographer Juan Brenner carries out an in-depth visual study of current Guatemalan society from the perspective of miscegenation and the incalculable consequences of the Spanish conquest. Establishing Pedro de Alvarado as a central figure, not only in the conquest of Guatemala, but also a key figure in the formation of a complex, segregated and deeply troubled society, Brenner creates a series of images that provide a dramatic view of Guatemala’s history and the consequences that follow.
Tonatiuh is published by Editorial RM.
