Members' talk and Q&A
About
José María Velasco is one of the great 19th century landscape painters. Much-loved in Mexico, ‘José María Velasco: A View of Mexico’ is the artist’s first dedicated UK exhibition.
Exhibition curators Dexter Dalwood and Daniel Sobrino Ralston introduce Velasco at this exclusive online Members’ talk and Q&A.
Inspired by his studies in geology, archaeology, and local flora, Velasco painted sweeping landscapes of the Valley of Mexico, home of modern-day Mexico City. His impressive panoramic views of the valley reveal allusions to Mexico's historic past and its rapidly modernising present. In exquisite detail, he captured expanding train lines and factories alongside detailed rocks, volcanoes and plants.
Hear Dexter and Daniel explore the themes and paintings of this exhibition ahead of the Members’ Preview Day and ask your own questions at the end of this talk.
Speakers
Dr Daniel Sobrino Ralston is the CEEH Associate Curator of Spanish Paintings at the National Gallery. He has published and lectured widely on Spanish art from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, contributing to several recent exhibitions at the National Gallery, including After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art (2023) and Saint Francis of Assisi (2023).
Dexter Dalwood was born in Bristol, England, in 1960. He studied at Saint Martins School of Art, London from 1981 to 1985 and then at the Royal College of Art, London, from 1988 to 1989. Dexter Dalwood’s paintings and prints are collages of visual imagery from art history, personal memory and political and cultural events from the past. His work reinterprets the genre of history painting for a contemporary audience. He lives and works in Mexico City.
Watch again
This online Members' event will be recorded. Recordings are usually available in your National Gallery account within three working days of the event.
This recording will be available until the exhibition closes on 17 August 2025.
Closed captions
Automatic closed captioning is available for this event.
Curator's introduction to José María Velasco: A View of Mexico
Members' talk and Q&A
Tickets
Members: £10
This is an online event, exclusive to Members, hosted on Zoom.
Members, please book your ticket to access this event. You will receive an E-ticket with instructions on how to access your online events, films and resources via your National Gallery account. Only one ticket can be booked per account. A recording of this event will be made available to all ticket holders in the days following the event.
