118. They Valley of Mexico from the Hillside of Santa Isabel (El Valle de Mexico desde el Cerro de Santa Isabel) Jose Maria Velasco. 1882 CE Oil on canvas.

• Form
  • Dramatic perspective; small human figures
  • The painting depicts Tepeyac and offers a sweeping view of the Valley of Mexico, the Basilica of the Lady of Guadalupe, as well as Mexico City, and two volcanoes in the distance
  • The work glorifies the Mexican countryside as well as emerging industrialism with the depiction of the train
  • The artistic is a keen observer of nature: rocks, foliage, clouds, waterfalls
• Content
  • The artist was primarily an academic landscape painter
  • Velasco specializes in broad panoramas of the Valley of Mexico
  • He rejected the realist landscapes of Courbet; he preferred the romantic landscapes of Turner
  • The artist settled in villa Guadalupe with an overview of the Valley of Mexico