Season Diane Dillon

The composition presents a scene structured around a central act of sacrifice, rendered in a style reminiscent of Mesoamerican codices. The visual language is highly stylized and symbolic, employing flattened perspective and bold outlines characteristic of the artistic tradition.
Here we see a dominant figure, presumably a priest or ruler, positioned centrally within the frame. He wears an elaborate headdress adorned with feathers and what appears to be a serpent motif, signifying status and potentially divine connection. His posture is assertive; his arm extended, wielding a sharp obsidian blade poised above the chest of a prostrate individual. The face of this central figure is devoid of expression, lending an unsettling detachment to the act being performed.
Below him lies the victim, depicted horizontally across the lower portion of the image. He too wears elaborate regalia, including a beard and what seems to be a ceremonial collar. His arms are outstretched, one reaching towards the sky in a gesture that could signify supplication or resignation. The posture suggests vulnerability and acceptance of his fate.
To the right of the central action stands another figure, smaller in scale compared to the others. This individual is also adorned with an elaborate headdress and appears to be observing the scene. Their position suggests a role as witness or perhaps a participant in the ritualistic context. A small bird sits atop a structure near this observer, adding a layer of symbolic detail that might represent freedom, spirit, or another element within the cosmology being depicted.
The ground is patterned with repeated motifs – likely representing maize plants – a common symbol of sustenance and fertility in many Mesoamerican cultures. This grounding element reinforces the agricultural and cyclical nature often associated with such rituals.
The inscription A TIME TO KILL at the bottom provides a direct, albeit stark, commentary on the depicted event. It underscores the solemnity and inevitability inherent within the ritualistic context. The overall effect is one of formality and gravity, conveying a sense of deeply ingrained cultural practices and beliefs surrounding sacrifice and its place within the cosmic order.