JOSÉ MARÍA VELASCO

Acquired in 2023 by the Kaluz Museum from María Elena Altamirano Piolle , the artist’s great-granddaughter, who dedicated years to collecting, preserving, and researching this valuable family archive, the José María Velasco Collection comprises more than 2,500 previously unseen pieces —paintings, notebooks, sketches, letters, manuscripts, books, and personal objects—that reveal the artist from his naturalist, scientific, and artistic facets to his private life. The exhibition’s title, Velasco’s Garden , alludes to the Valley of Mexico as his territory of study and contemplation, a space where art and knowledge intertwined in the painter’s vision. From his botanical notes to his grand landscapes, nature was the central focus of his work.

The artistic production of José María Velasco is closely linked to the scientific practices of the 19th century. In addition to being a painter, he was a researcher and author who actively participated in the increasingly prominent role of science in 19th-century societies. Trained at the San Carlos Academy under the tutelage of the Italian painter Eugenio Landesio (1809-1874), he shared his teacher’s interest in geology and botany.

Through his paintings and publications, Velasco contributed to shaping a mineral, zoological, botanical and archaeological imaginary, fundamental fields of knowledge to give meaning to geological time, the ancient past and the natural regions of the country.

The works gathered in this room reflect his multifaceted career, which ranges from his participation in archaeological explorations to his involvement in the debate on evolution. The visual legacy presented here allows us to approach the naturalist observer whose strokes were exercises in knowledge.