The artistic production of José María Velasco is closely intertwined with the scientific practices of the nineteenth century. In addition to being a painter, he was a researcher and author who actively participated in the increasingly prominent role of science in nineteenth-century societies. His training at the Academia de San Carlos under the tutelage of the Italian painter Eugenio Landesio (1809–1874) cemented in him a shared fascination with geology and botany. 

Through his paintings and publications, Velasco helped shape a mineral, zoological, botanical, and archaeological imaginary— fields of knowledge fundamental to understanding geological time, the ancient past, and the natural regions of the country.

The works gathered in this gallery reflect his multifaceted career, spanning from his participation in archaeological explorations to his involvement in debates on evolutionism. The visual legacy presented here allows us to approach the naturalist observer whose brushstrokes became acts of knowledge.