El Espiritu Azteca [The Aztec Spirit]

This Aztec figure that José Alpuche depicted against the colors of the Mexican flag represents a warrior and archer sometimes identified by the name "Ilhuicamina". According to an ancient Mesoamerican myth, the warrior was challenged to shoot the heart of the sky—the sun—with an arrow in order to win the hand of his beloved. After many tries he pierced the sun with an arrow, making it turn red before setting. The classical proportions and pose of the heroic archer may also be inspired by the work of Jesús Helguera (1910–1971), an academic painter who illustrated inexpensive Mexican calendars, helping disseminate ancient myths and folkloric scenes among Mexican Americans in the United States.