Original artwork description:

Original artwork of the city of Acapulco, Mexico, painted on canvas and stretched on double wooden bars.

It has been over 20 years that I visited Acapulco on one of my many trips through Mexico. Painting a city after so many years was quite a challenge because I couldn't remember the details well enough anymore. But with the internet today it was easy to check out all the important landmarks of the city. I included a lot of history in this painting. Find out about the details below.


Detailed description:

The right box of the painting shows the “La Quebrada” cliff divers of Acapulco. They are famous for diving up to 40 meters into the ocean. They are the most recognizable icon of Acapulco.

For centuries Acapulco has been the crossroads for trade in Mexico. It was conquered by Cortés in 1531 and developed into one of the most important harbors for trade with China and the Philippines. The wealth of the fort attracted a lot of pirates at the time. In the painting, the fortress of Acapulco hangs on a string from the top of the left box. The flags of China, the Philippines, and the pirate flag tell the history of this city.

Underneath Tarzan rides a flamingo on top of the pavilion of the central square. The flamingo stands for “Los Flamingos,” a famous hotel in Acapulco in the 50s. Many Hollywood stars visited the place. Among them was Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmüller. He lived in this hotel and died there in 1984. The painting shows Tarzan riding the flamingo, telling the flamboyant history of the famous hotel while the statue of the politician Benito Juarez in the same box represents the political history of the town.

The two boxes on the left, underneath the cathedral of Acapulco, are two major landmarks that the city is known for. One is the Chapel of Peace and the other is the house of Diego Riviera.

The box in the center of the painting tells the ancient legend of how the name of the city came about. It originates from the Nahuatl word “Acapolco,” which means “where the reeds were destroyed.” It is the sad love story of Prince Acatl and Princess Quiahuitl. The princess was not allowed to marry Acatl. She cried so much that a lake formed and dissolved her beloved prince. The princess turned into a cloud and rained down on Acatl. But reeds started to form along the lake and were about to kill her love. So the princess rained down on the lake, destroyed the reeds, and saved Acatl.

In the painting, the outline of a face is visible in the lake, representing Acatl while Quiahuitl falls down from the clouds, holding an umbrella.

The city’s history is based on its location on the ocean as is the creation story of Quiahuitl. So the color blue was the only right choice for this painting when I created this painting.

Materials used:

Acrylics on canvas

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