Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957) is considered one of the foremost Mexican artists of the twentieth century. Yet the list of his accomplishments is not limited to the visual arts. A true Renaissance man, Covarrubias also made important contributions to the disciplines of anthropology and archeology and to the creative fields of dance and theater. The breadth of his intellectual interests inspired him to explore cultures and ideas as varied as the brilliant hues of his art. A social critic, he drew caricatures that provide a window into the social, cultural, and political milieu of 1920s and 30s America.
 In the late 1920s he became interested in ethnology. His first major book, The Island of Bali, appeared in 1937. He later wrote three excellent studies of the life and art of Native Americans, Mexico South (1946), The Eagle, the Jaguar, and the Serpent (1954), and Indian Art of Mexico and Central America (1957).