In keeping with its commitment to study the treasures of its heritage, the Museo Nacional de Arte presents Ideal Territory. José María Velasco: Perspectives on an Era, as part of a curatorial survey of the collections that form its permanent exhibition. The 103 artworks presented, executed by local and foreign artists, span from the 1830s to the 1920s.

This exhibition aims to explore the different modalities and fields that converged in the studied period, and that generated a series of figurative and symbolic strategies that allowed the pictorial reproductions of our vast national territory. The latter derived from diverse conceptual and aesthetic scenery to a highly suggestive and naturalist level.

Beginning with the artistic output of José María Velasco (1840-1912), a leading exponent of the expressivity of modern landscape painting, we have included a group of artists like Eugenio Landesio, Casimiro Castro, and Luis Coto. These artists have a presence in the multiple stylistic and conceptual dimensions that generate a gamut of perspectives regarding our national territory from the painting point of view, drawing, graphic works, and photography.

This is the beginning of the total renovation of the permanent exhibition of the Museo Nacional de Arte. The room that houses this exhibition, since September 2 of 2014, is named José María Velasco in honor of the renowned landscape painter. The location in the museum will allow the visitor to value the importance of his work by being at the heart of the facility.