The Cliffs of the Dawn at Isla Mujeres Painting

Isla Mujeres, (the Island of Women) is an island 8 miles off the coast of Cancun, Mexico, with a unique history and scenic beauty. On the southern end of the island are some spectacular world class views at the “Cliff of the Dawn”. On top are the ruins of a Mayan temple to the goddess Ixchel. Ixchel was the goddess of love, fertility, and medicine. Young Mayan girls would make a pilgrimage to the Cliff of the Dawn and Ixchel’s temple as part of their passage from girl to woman. When the Spanish discovered it in the 15th century they noticed the many nude statues offered to the goddess and named the island Isla Mujeres. The island later became the base of pirates and buccaneers, like Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte. They used it as a hideaway and it is said they would leave their women there for safe keeping while they were on the high seas. Isla Mujeres is a corral island and the cliffs are carved by wind and wave over centuries. The effects of light and water on the cliffs are very unique. The dry corral under the Caribbean sun turns nearly bone white, while the wet corral picks up warm yellowish tones all contrasted by the deep warm shadow areas below the cliffs. I wanted to emphasize some of those nuances and subtle effects. This studio piece is painted from several Pochade box paintings and en plein air studies done while on our yearly Mexico vacation. For me the true power of any good landscape is the ability to capture and convey the immediacy and drama of the scene to the audience.

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:24 W x 30 H x 1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.