Velasco, the Scientific Landscaper

A major exhibition celebrates Mexican artist José María Velasco for the first time in the UK. Active in Mexico in the 19th century, Velasco was a man of many interests. Fascinated by advances in geology, the archaeology of his native country, the study of local flora and the growing presence of industrialisation, Velasco painted the vast landscapes of the Valley of Mexico. His dramatic panoramic views of the valley - a place that no longer exists, transformed by the expansion of the megalopolis of Mexico City - reveal allusions to Mexico’s historic past and provide a glimpse into a rapidly modernizing world. The first ever exhibition of a Latin American artist at the National Gallery, this exhibition marks the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the UK and places Velasco among the greatest landscape painters of the 19th century.