Tlaloc Artist: Josef Albers (American, born Germany, 1888–1976, M.A. (Hon.) 1950, D.F.A. (Hon.) 1962)

1944

Prints and Drawings

By appointment, Duffy Study Room

Josef made this woodcut with explicit reference to Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god. The diagonal lines seem to create an abstract representation of an Aztec mask, and the horizontal wood grain mimics ripples or the flow of water. Furthermore, the lines form a circuit, from top to bottom, across, up, and down again. This evokes the water cycle, through which water evaporates into the atmosphere, condenses, and falls back down to earth as precipitation. In this woodcut, Josef extracted the core essence of the rain god and channeled it into a visual representation.

Medium

Woodcut

Dimensions

sheet: 12 × 12 1/2 in. (30.48 × 31.75 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of the artist

Accession Number

1957.54.7

Geography

Made in Germany, or United States

Culture

American, German

Period

20th century

Classification

Prints

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Object copyright
© 2012 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
In Copyright
Additional information

Object/Work type

woodcuts

Edition

11/35

Signed

In pencil below, left, "Tlaloc 11/35", right "Albers - 44"

Technical metadata and APIs

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