José María Velasco: Master of Mexican Landscape Painting

José María Velasco (1840–1912) transformed Mexican landscape painting from a minor genre into a symbol of national identity. Trained at the Real Academy of San Carlos in 1855 under Italian painter Eugenio Landesio, Velasco initially followed academic conventions but gradually developed his own style, characterized by precise observation of light and atmosphere. His masterpiece, *The Valley of Mexico* (1877), exemplifies his technical skill in atmospheric perspective and ecological detail, capturing the valley before urbanization. Velasco's works, including *Cathedral of Oaxaca* (1887) and *The Metlac Ravine* (1897)—the first Mexican painting to depict a locomotive—were exhibited at World's Fairs in Philadelphia (1876) and Paris (1889), earning international acclaim. In his final decade (1902–1912), after resigning from the Academy due to heart problems, Velasco retreated to Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo, producing more intimate, meditative landscapes with softer palettes. He died in 1912. Art historian Fausto Ramírez Rojas described this period as his "fruitful dusk."