Analysis of The Artwork “The Valley of Mexico From The Hillside of Santa Isabella” by José Maria Velasco

“The Valley of Mexico from the Hillside of Santa Isabel” by Jose Maria Velasco is an incredible piece of artwork a profound image of the valley of Mexico. The painting is about the land and its history. It brings out the actual imaginable picture of the land as the people can literally imagine it. By going through the art, one can deduct what the land really represents and depicts as far as art presentation is concerned.  In addition to this, the artwork image also comes out with the historical culture of the valley of Mexico. Based on this therefore, it is possible to make an analysis of the history by looking and analyzing the art work as presented. In that context, therefore, the art work is not just out for fun but also brings out an educative perspective where the viewer gets a breakthrough to what the artist focuses on as far as art work and the setting presentation is concerned. This imagery provides a chance that highlights symbols of patriotism to a modern self-governing society. In the very foreground, we have an incredible identity that shows the study of geology, botanical and metrological phenomenon. That is to mean that, by looking at the foreground of the art work, one is able to take all aspects of geological aspects, the live and the weather and or meteorological occurrences in the land and make a constructive conclusion based on what he or she sees. The imagery shows a woman and a child who give the impression that they are walking towards nature. The image leads our eyes to structures at a distance associated with the Hill of Tepeyac such as Basilica of Guadalupe. This illustrates spiritual moments in Mexico and its roots. In line with the European tradition, the academic painting speaks a lot on a number of factors illustrated by the artist bellow (Amigo 523).

            The Image shows a lake that once surrounded the city and how it has been pushed off by the increased innovation. With reference to the art of work outlined, the artist not only focuses on showing how the real locality is but also focuses on critically making the viewer understand the effects that are coming along with it. This can be clearly discerned by the view of the lake that once surrounded the city. The lake has been pushed off an aspect that shows how the innovative advancement is having on the lake and the general natural appearance. In addition to that, the image reviews the impact of human encroachment and the effects of industrialization. Clearly, the picture depicts the beauty of nature that continues to die away. With then increased industrialization, it is merely impossible for the natural beauty to hold due to the needs that the industrialization focuses on achieving. Industrialization is a major factor that impacts nature as the image illustrates. Just the same way we can relate in the current world and ongoing industrialization in the modern times, it is clear that industrialization is having a great impact on natural beauty. For that reason, therefore, it can be said that the art work is aimed at bringing out realms that the actual ground can give. The image reviews changing times of Mexico away from its original heritage. The woman and the boy walking away from the city seem to be seeking nature that has been destroyed through innovations. The picturesque and the pastoral are relevant in the discussion of Velasco’s work because they illustrate the impact innovation on nature. From a Mexican perspective, the image depicts the impact of the modern innovation in addition to human encroachment and how they persist on altering nature (Beardsell 631).

Question 2

            ”The Funeral of the Inca Atahualpa” by Luis Montero and ”Torture of Cuauhtémoc” by Leandro Izaguirre reflects a clear representation of politics in the 19th-century academic work of art.  The two images illustrate the idea of early leadership and governance and its impact on the modern world. They depict the aspect of political perpetuation in the 19th century with an actual touch on how leadership operated and its impacts. During the 19th century, the leadership was determined by the strength of the governance by the king. Therefore, the stronger the king was, the more control he had on the kingdom and his leadership relevance. In that context therefore, the kings strived to make their kingdoms as strong as possible in order to achieve that what was perceived as kingdom goals. As illustrated in the two pictures, leadership is a notion of the past that presents the foundation of the present. ”Torture of Cuauhtémoc” by Leandro Izaguirre reflects torture of slaves during the 19th century. The image reviews the era of slavery and how dictatorship resulted in the suffering of civilians. From the view of te image, the viewer is in a position to imagine the reality of the slavery era with a contextual basis of the stories about slavery and its effects. Conversely, ”The Funeral of the Inca Atahualpa” reflects a historical event of a woman trying to interrupt a funeral of Atahualpa king. The image artistically represents European renaissance, techniques, and style but the artwork represents a real event of the Latin American Iran (Ramírez, Mari, and Héctor Olea 422).  

            ”Torture of Cuauhtémoc” introduces students to the era of colonial Latin America by reviewing the hardships pre-Columbian Indian Civilizations Andes. In line with the image, it is clear that the Spanish take-over of the Portuguese and Americas colonization of Brazil influenced to hybrid cultures and exceptional religious beliefs and politics. Based on the two paintings, the soldiers represent powerful and strong tyranny as a result of the advanced military hardware. This is with relation to the context that the past power was majorly determined by the military strength that the army and the military personnel could discern. In addition, men, as illustrated, were preferred to be strong and powerful compared to the women. This aspect has not changed since the modern world also concludes men to be powerful and better leaders than women. The confirmation of this is based on the fact that during the ancient times all the leaders used to be men. Consequently, in our today’s world, the majority of leaders are men with few women featuring up in the leadership picture. The Funeral of the Inca Atahualpa” representation of Inca portrays weakness and inferiority among children and women.   

            The narrative of the past contributes largely to the present issues. During the 19th

century, the Latin Americans suffered as a result of Spanish civilization. The formation of America contradicts what is illustrated in the image. Clearly, the formation of the state was not achieved as described in many texts of history. It is evident that both pictures show that King Atahualpa was murdered by the same Spanish soldiers that prevent the angry women from viewing the body. For a state of America to be formed, there was a lot of bloodshed and torture of innocent civilians. Clearly, American administration and intellectual society reclaimed historical figures that embodied Mexico’s great effort for unity and independence (Ramírez, Mari, and Héctor Olea 123).  

Question 3

            In her inscription, ”Strategies of Modernity in Latin America”, Andrea Giunta illustrates the evolution and the impact of modern art in the contemporary world. She displays the significant changes that have taken place in the art industry following the evolution that has taken place since the modernization of mankind following breakthroughs in ways of approaching things. The three major strategies of modernity illustrated by Andrea include swallowing, inversion, and re-appropriation. The reflection of art in the modern society shows how art has gradually evolved. During the 19th

century, artists resolved to challenge the status quo of the avant-garde to a different point of view. This approach challenged a number of basics of art in the western civilization. Traditional art was not acceptable because it influenced a number of negative factors that were not acceptable. According to Andrea, a hypermodern civilization of the Renaissance was slowly replaced by imitation, repletion, and total conformity. The rebirth of the modern art started with landscaping painting such as that of ”The Valley of Mexico from the Hillside of Santa Isabel” by Jose Maria Velasco (Ramírez, Mari, and Héctor Olea 732).

            There are different types of artwork that explain ”Strategies of Modernity in Latin America” as described by Andrea. ”Man Who Eats” by Tarsila do Amaral illustrate swallowing strategy. The art is one of the major signatures of anthropology that was renowned among the Native Americans. It is a metaphor for Brazil’s revolution of European culture. The strategy of inversion, on the other hand, is described in Torres-Garcia map drawing, ”Upside-Down Map”. The artwork of Torres-Garcia became an attraction in the history of the Latin America in the efforts of reclaiming their position in the global vision. It can therefore be said that the artwork had a great impact on repositioning of the Latin America as far as retaining and recapture of what had been lost is concerned. Garcia located the South Pole at the top of the world to suggest that visual affirmation of the significance of the continent. According to Andrea, it is evident that the Latin America’s civilization in art was gradually taking its course. It was therefore an era of restructuring and regaining for the Latin American’s civilization which to some extent had been interfered with (Ramírez, Mari, and Héctor Olea 532).

            The strategy of re-appropriation is well illustrated in ”The Jungle” by Wilfredo Lam. The artwork by Wilfredo addresses the account of slavery in colonial Cuba. In line with Andrea illustration on ”Strategies of Modernity in Latin America”, it is evident the aspect of modernity in the contemporary world was influenced by the need for change. Following the way and course of life and ways of approach in the ancient world, it is clear that there was need for change and an adoption of a new culture and approach of things. The modern art was about expressing the importance of new aesthetics in the modern art. Andrea demonstrates modern art as a revolution in content and form. Art has evolved from pointillism to fauvism which increased freedom from mimetic illusionism. From the way art was presented in the past, it can be said that there was an aspect of restriction and lack of diversity as far as the things that the artists touched on. However, the changes that came to be in place brought about the freedom that had not been exercised with the artist free to touch on anything that they wished to address with no limitation and hindrances. Fauvism attribute to color, obvious brush stroke, and gestural of the rules of the western style of painting. According to Andrea, these are the main factors that have influenced significance and meaning of modern art (Benson, Timothy O, and Eva 243).

            Apparently, modern art was altered by the influence of non-western fine art during the 20th

century. Therefore, with the elimination of western interference of art, there was the ability of emergency of the modern art that has more freedom of approach and methodological follow ups. As a result, modern art evolved to sculptures that significantly enabled modern art to bring out the meaning of art in the society. The art became more natural and independent of restrictions that existed in the western fine art. The artist could engage in aspects that generally brought of natural taste and articulation of the context of art. A new form of expression in art was born due to the influence of Strategies of Modernity in Latin America. The strategies mainly aimed at naturalizing art and bringing out a freedom in the modern world that is not restricted in any form of expression. The post-impression style involved an impression of a real image unlike the strict mimetic illusion of the 18th century. Andrea portrays the difference of art in the modern culture and its impact on art. The modern art expresses ”freedom” and “realism” (Benson, Timothy O, and Eva 542).                    

Work Cited

Amigo, Cerisola R. Tras Un Inca: ”los Funerales De Atahualpa” De Luis Montero En Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires: Fundación para la Investigación del Arte Argentino, 2001. Print.

Beardsell, Peter R. Europe and Latin America: Returning the Gaze. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester Univ. Press, 2000. Print.

Benson, Timothy O, and Eva Forgacs. Between Worlds: A Sourcebook of Central European Avant-Gardes, 1910-1930. Los Angeles, Calif: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2002. Print.

Ramírez, Mari C, and Héctor Olea. Inverted Utopias: Avant-garde Art in Latin America. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press, 2004. Print.