José María Velasco (1840 – 1912) was a 19th-century Mexican polymath, most famous as a painter who made Mexican geography a symbol of national identity through his paintings.He completed his initial studies at the schools of the Santa Catarina Quadrant and Lancasterian School of Salto del Agua and the College of San Miguel, then obtained a scholarship to  the Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos.While his contemporaries drew inspiration from religious, mythological, or folkloric themes, Velasco made the Mexican landscape the symbol of national identity.An exceptional draftsman with a refined technique, precise lines, and sophisticated use of color, Velasco’s artistic virtues flourished in his monumental visions of the Valley of Mexico.During the period from the mid-1870s to the end of the 19th century, Velasco established himself as the undisputed master of Mexican landscape painting.His paintings reached a new level of refinement while reflecting broader ideas shaping Mexican society at the time.More of José María Velasco’s amazing paintings can be found at https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/jose-maria-velascos-landscapes/ and https://smarthistory.org/velasco-the-valley-of-mexico/.