An Aztec Sculptor

George de Forest Brush

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows the back view of a person sitting cross-legged on a blue-green mat or rug with yellow details, carving a large slab of white stone with gray marbling. The person has light brown skin and dark, straight hair, and they are wearing a gold arm band and a leopard print garment wrapped around their waist over what looks like orange pants visible at their knees. They hold a small chisel and hammer, and are carving small lines into the flat stone. The right and top edges of the stone slab have intricate patterns and designs, including the outline of a standing person wearing a feathered headdress, vines, animals, and geometric patterns. The floor below the person is more white marble, and the wall behind the slab is gray. The inscription "Geo. D. F. Brush" and the date "1881" are visible in the right corner.