Portrait of Tenochtitlan
| Portrait of Tenochtitlan | |
|---|---|
| Spanish: Retrato de Tenochtitlan, Nahuatl: In ixtli, in yollotl, in Tenochtitlan | |
 The twin cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco against the backdrop of the Popocatépetl and Ixtacchíhuatl vulcanos | |
| Artist | Thomas Kole |
| Year | 2023 |
| Movement | Digital art |
| Subject | Tenochtitlan |
| Website | https://tenochtitlan.thomaskole.nl/index.html |
Portrait of Tenochtitlan is a render of Tenochtitlan and the Valley of Mexico at the start of the 16th century by Dutch programmer Thomas Kole using 3D computer graphics.[1] Drone photograpy by Mexican geomatic engineer Andrés Semo was used to compare the past with present-day Mexico City. The unbiased rendering won critical acclaim as a credible image of the Mexica capital. [2]
Development[edit]
The images were developed in 2022 and 2023 with open-source software engines Blender, Gimp and Darktable. The project used historical and archeological sources and expert advice.[3]
Launch[edit]
The images were launched on the website of the project in September 2023 with a text in English, Spanish and Nahuatl, the latter translated by Rodrigo Ortega Acoltzi. The project was published under Creative Commons-license BY 4.0.[4]
Reception[edit]
The Spanish-language edition of National Geographic published an article on Portrait of Tenochtitlan and the website went viral.[5] During Kole’s first-ever visit to Mexico City in February 2024, Kole, Semo, and Ortega gave a presentation at the National Museum of Anthropology that was well received.[6] A second presentation was given at the Tlatelolco Cultural Centre.
Gallery[edit]
-
View to the West -
Tenochtitlan and the Popocatépetl -
View of Tenochtitlan looking towards Tenayuca
External links[edit]
- Project Website
- Video of presentation at Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco, february 2024, on YouTube.
References[edit]
- ^ Milligan, Mark (2023-09-13). "Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan re-created in 3D". HeritageDaily - Archaeology News. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ José, Elena San (2024-02-13). "The lost city of Tenochtitlan, recreated from the apartment of a Dutch computer scientist". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Long-Lost Aztec City Of Tenochtitlan Recreated In 3D". IFLScience. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "a portrait of Tenochtitlan". tenochtitlan.thomaskole.nl. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Leija, Lydia (2023-09-06). "La capital imperial vuelve a la vida: Explora la reconstrucción 3D de Tenochtitlan realizada por el artista holandés Thomas Kole". National Geographic en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Lebrija Clavel, Mariana. "Recrean el Tenochtitlan prehispánico". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.