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The Harald Wagner Collection of Teotihuacan MuralsThe Wagner collection of Teotihuacan murals is unique—the largest and most important outside of Mexico. The murals are remarkable for their quality, condition, and iconographic breadth. Secretly removed from their site in the 1960s, they were left to The Fine Arts museums of San Francisco in a surprise bequest by Harald Wagner, an energetic San Francisco art lover who had spent years living in Mexico.
His gift created a tangle of legal and ethical issues that took the Museums, working with the Mexican government, years to sort out. The result was an agreement that stands as a model of institutional responsibility in the sensitive area of restoring lost cultural patrimony.
Of equal dramatic interest is the story of the discovery of the murals’ provenance at Teotihuacan by René Millon, some twenty years after their looting. The murals are of extraordinary scholarly interest because of their subject matter and their place within the Teotihuacan stylistic canon. Although scholars have not yet been able to establish the existence of an organized system of writing for the city, many of the Wagner murals bear important glyphs that will provide new and valuable evidence.
Examine the fascinating details of the Harald Wagner collection of mural fragments. Zoom in on high-resolution images that reveal complex iconographic systems and expert artistry.
In 1976, Harald Wagner’s death brought to the de Young one of the most intriguing gifts in its history. Who was this enigmatic collector? How did he obtain the mural fragments in the first place?
Learn about the pre-Hispanic metropolis Teotihuacan. Where were the murals located? When were they created? What was the original purpose of the buildings whose walls were decorated with the murals?
Harald Wagner’s unexpected bequest to the de Young initiated a collaborative conservation project that incorporated conservation professionals from Mexico and San Francisco. Working together, conservators from both countries determined the best way to care for the unruly Teotihuacan mural fragments.
The de Young’s acquisition of the Teotihuacan mural fragments resulted in significant exhibitions and unprecedented publications.
There has been significant research conducted in a variety of disciplines focusing on the ancient city of Teotihuacan. If you are interested in learning more about the murals and their origins, additional information is provided in a selected bibliography.