God of Air quetzal feather painting

Description

This painting of a Resplendent Quetzal feather is oil on linen and measures 72 by 33 inches.

I hand build and stretch all of my painting substrates.

The Resplendent Quetzal, with it’s iridescent green tail feathers, was viewed as “god of the air” by ancient Maya and Aztecs.

The colors of the resplendent quetzal were that of the feathered serpent god, Kukulkan, also known as Q’uq’umatz by the Maya K’iche’ and as Quetzalcoatl by the Aztec people.

The Maya also viewed the quetzal as a symbol of freedom and wealth, due to their view of quetzals dying in captivity and the value of their feathers, respectively.

Highland Indians were allowed to capture the birds and remove their tail feathers (which grow back each year) but they were forbidden to keep them captive or kill them.