Today it is commonplace to criticise imperialism and to defend native peoples from the barbarisms inflicted on them by their European invaders and conquerors. There is much truth in this, but it is not the whole story. I say this having just read the chapter on the Aztecs in the lavishly illustrated collection of art reviews, Exhibitionist, by Richard Dorment, former art critic of the Daily Telegraph for 30 years.
Dorment visited the Royal Academy exhibition on the Aztecs in November 2002, the same month as I did; thus I was interested to read his response. I concur completely with his comment, “If in the Aztec mentality there was any concept of love, tenderness, mercy or pity, it is not reflected in their art. Alone among the world cultures, Aztec art contains no representation of a mother with her child...”
