Carlos Cañas’ (b. 1924 in San Salvador; d. 2013 in San Salvador) Sumpul (1984) responds to the 1980 massacre at the Sumpul River in Chalatenango, El Salvador, a significant event in the Salvadoran Civil War (1979–92). The painting, rendered in dark blues and purples, depicts an unidentifiable heap of slain victims. It is one of the most well-known artworks in Salvadoran art history for its overwhelming illustration of grief.
