José María Velasco (1840-1912)

oil on canvas

Private Collection, Switzerland

This painting has been recently restored and should be hung as is. The canvas appears to be unlined and the paint layer has been cleaned, retouched and varnished. There are restorations visible under ultraviolet light above the signature in the lower left, in what appears to be a scratch in one of the trees in the center, in a spot in the lower right quadrant and in the fields in the center right. Some patches of old varnish still remain and are visible under ultraviolet light. In the sky some very fine abrasion has been retouched throughout, particularly on the left side, yet this work has been very accurately carried out. The picture should be hung in its current state. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

José María Velasco, Mexico's foremost nineteenth-century landscape painter came to international prominence with traveling exhibitions of his monumental views of the Valley of Mexico. In 1889, Velasco participated in the Exposition Universelle in Paris with sixty-eight works and was awarded a Gold Medal as also happened when he exhibited at the Chicago Columbian Exhibition of 1893.

 

 

El Valle de México desde el Cerro de Santa Isabel is one of his most famous landscape views. The monumental version is in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City, while smaller versions were commissioned by private clients for their homes or for museums such as this one and the one in the collection of the Narodni Muzeum in Prague.