The Olmecs, Covarrubias, and the Modernists Ideas on Style

Abstract

This paper will examine Miguel Covarrubias’ arguments to postulate the existence of the “Olmec”, echoin recent researches and taking into account three problems: an iconographic argument about the fetish’s place the middle of the jungle, which in turns refers to ideas about cannibalism; an argument about style that took theoretical and pedagogical resources used at the time in North American Museums, which Covarrubias was familiar with; finally, an argument of Social History, that considers the Olmec as an aristocratic elite that conquered a peasants’ nation. In this author’s opinion, this last argument could be considered as a portrait o Mexican society in twentieth century.