GROVE/WOODLAND/ARBORETUM
0:00/1:34
Narrado por Jorge Obregón
Narrado por Jorge Obregón
Trees were an essential motif in José María Velasco’s work. Depicted either individually or as part of a grove, each was studied with close attention—the shape of its leaves, the density of its foliage, the texture of its bark, and the environment in which it grew. This fusion of scientific inquiry and artistic sensibility produced representations of striking verisimilitude.
Among his most notable works are those dedicated to trees that acquired emblematic status in the country’s history, such as the ahuehuete of Popotla—celebrated in chronicles that place it at the scene of the so-called “Noche Triste” of 1520—or the ahuehuetes of Chapultepec Forest.
Velasco’s interest also extended to the study of tree bark, particularly that of ash and poplar, as recorded in one of his notebooks. His works are presented here alongside selected wood samples from the Xiloteca (Wood Library) of the UNAM Institute of Biology, revealing how his scientific gaze upon trees directly informed his artistic practice.
Trees were an essential motif in José María Velasco’s work. Depicted either individually or as part of a grove, each was studied with close attention—the shape of its leaves, the density of its foliage, the texture of its bark, and the environment in which it grew. This fusion of scientific inquiry and artistic sensibility produced representations of striking verisimilitude.
Among his most notable works are those dedicated to trees that acquired emblematic status in the country’s history, such as the ahuehuete of Popotla—celebrated in chronicles that place it at the scene of the so-called “Noche Triste” of 1520—or the ahuehuetes of Chapultepec Forest.
Velasco’s interest also extended to the study of tree bark, particularly that of ash and poplar, as recorded in one of his notebooks. His works are presented here alongside selected wood samples from the Xiloteca (Wood Library) of the UNAM Institute of Biology, revealing how his scientific gaze upon trees directly informed his artistic practice.
Trees were an essential motif in José María Velasco’s work. Depicted either individually or as part of a grove, each was studied with close attention—the shape of its leaves, the density of its foliage, the texture of its bark, and the environment in which it grew. This fusion of scientific inquiry and artistic sensibility produced representations of striking verisimilitude.
Among his most notable works are those dedicated to trees that acquired emblematic status in the country’s history, such as the ahuehuete of Popotla—celebrated in chronicles that place it at the scene of the so-called “Noche Triste” of 1520—or the ahuehuetes of Chapultepec Forest.
Velasco’s interest also extended to the study of tree bark, particularly that of ash and poplar, as recorded in one of his notebooks. His works are presented here alongside selected wood samples from the Xiloteca (Wood Library) of the UNAM Institute of Biology, revealing how his scientific gaze upon trees directly informed his artistic practice.