Gateway of the Great Teocallis, Uxmal

Created as a print, the work combines Catherwood’s meticulous line work with subtle shading to convey depth and texture. His background in architecture informs the precise rendering of orthogonal lines and perspective, while his artistic eye softens the stone surfaces with hatching that suggests weathered reliefs and intricate carvings.

Catherwood produced the print while accompanying American explorer John Lloyd Stephens on their 1830s expedition through Mesoamerica. Their joint publications later introduced Maya ruins to a European audience. After changing hands among private collectors, the piece entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains part of the museum’s print and drawing department.

The early nineteenth‑century voyage of Stephens and Catherwood marked one of the first systematic surveys of Maya sites. Their detailed illustrations, including this gateway, provided the first reliable visual evidence of Maya urbanism for scholars and the general public, influencing subsequent archaeological interest and preservation efforts.