The exhibition “José María Velasco: A View of Mexico”

José María Velasco: The Mexican landscape painter left a little piece of Mexico in Great Britain
The Mexican painter became the first Mexican to exhibit solo at the National Gallery in London.

The most iconic 19th-century Mexican landscape painter, José María Velasco, conquered the United Kingdom. For the first time in history, London's prestigious National Gallery will dedicate a solo exhibition to a Latin American artist, and the chosen one is our Velasco!

The exhibition, called “José María Velasco: A View of Mexico,” was a cultural bombshell celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The exhibition was on view at the National Gallery in London from March 29 to August 17. Afterwards, it will travel to the United States at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where it will be on view from September 27 to January 4, 2026.
From Mexico City to London: A Journey with Epic Landscapes

For this exhibition, around 30 works, including paintings and drawings, will be brought together from Mexican private and public collections. The Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) in Mexico City was the most prominent, lending 17 of the painter's masterpieces. Among the exhibits were pieces from the collection of the National Museum of the Czech Republic, based in Prague. In this Central European nation, Velasco's work includes some pieces that were highly valued.

On tours of this special room at the National Gallery, Latin Americans were able to see aspects of independent Mexico. "It's an exhibition that has moved Mexicans greatly because of the impressiveness of the work," commented Isabel, a Chilean-born museum guide who explained the work of the artist to the Spanish speakers.

“For many Latin Americans, Mexico's cultural production has been etched in their minds. Film and television have taught us how to pronounce Popocatépetl, even if we can't quite get it right,” he says, laughing.

“The monumental landscapes of the old Mexico City are etched in our minds from what we saw in the movies for so many years.”

Colombian, Argentine, and Chilean visitors have thoroughly enjoyed it; it's almost a shared triumph,” the guide said excitedly.

José María Velasco became famous for his magnificent paintings of the Valley of Mexico, where he depicted the chaotic yet beautiful landscape surrounding the capital. His works are a blend of precise beauty and a poetic vibe that captured the country's social change and industrialization like no other.
Although Velasco is a god in Mexico and his work traveled throughout the United States and Europe in his time, he is virtually unknown outside his country. In fact, none of his works are in British public collections, and his last major exhibition outside of Mexico was almost 50 years ago in Texas.
Who was José María Velasco? The genius who painted Mexico

This landscape painter was born on July 6, 1840, in Temascalcingo, José María Velasco, State of Mexico. His contributions made him the most important artist of the 19th century in Mexico. His fame is not only due to his talent with the brush, but also to his work. to the way he united art and science to capture the essence of his country.

Velasco was not only an artist; he was also a polymath: botanist, naturalist, and geologist. This fascination with the natural world is reflected in his work, where every detail of Mexico's flora, geology, and landscapes is painted with almost scientific precision, yet with unparalleled beauty.

He died on August 26, 1912. Although he was internationally acclaimed in his time, Velasco is a treasure of Mexican art history that deserves to be rediscovered worldwide.
The artist who was much more than a painter

Velasco was not just a master with a brush; he was a true genius. He was a botanist, naturalist, geologist, and deeply interested in history. For him, art was not just about creating beauty, but a way of understanding and expressing scientific knowledge of the world.

The exhibition had six thematic sections that will take us through 50 years of his career. We will explore his fascination from the perspective of his work. from archaeological sites and geology to his concern with how industry was affecting the landscape.

And for those who attend, there's a bonus: you'll be able to connect Velasco's work with other works in the National Gallery, such as Manet's "The Execution of Maximilian," so you'll be left thinking about how 19th-century artists viewed colonization and modernity.

This exhibition is a giant step toward giving Velasco the worldwide recognition he deserves and a sign that Latin American art is more alive than ever in European museums.
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