Lot 54: EUGENIO LANDESIO (1809-1879)

EUGENIO LANDESIO (1809-1879) CRUZANDO EL LAGO DE TEXCOCO CON VOLCANES signed and dated 1865 Messico lower center oil on canvas 16 3/4 by 24 1/4 in. 42.6 by 61.8 cm

Galerías Cristobal, Mexico City
Acquired from the above by the present owner (1989)

One of the most important influences on 19υth century Mexican painting was the Italian artist Eugenio Landesio. Brought to Mexico in 1855 by Pelegrín Clave, the director of the Academia de San Carlos, Landesio was to be a pivotal teacher and influence on many landscape painters of that generation, including Luis Coto, Jiménez Aranda and most notably, José María Velasco

In the present painting, Landesio has taken the classical precepts of landscape painting and given them a modern twist by contrasting the timeless landscape of the Lake of Texcoco and the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatepetl, with the modern world of 19th century Mexico. The figures in the foreground illustrate different parts of Mexican society. The long, thin craft, with men poling the boat along, is a working class ferry, its shaded canopy covering tightly packed people who overflow onto the roof of the structure. Alongside runs a small sail boat taking the comfortable upper class ladies and gentlemen, dressed in European clothing and smoking their cigars, to their destination at a quicker pace. In the background, behind both boats, is a sign of the modern Mexico: a steam-driven engine used for building into the lake.

Painted in the middle of Landesio's almost twenty five year stay in Mexico, this painting is an allegory of Mexico and predicts the future, where Mexico City, the biggest metropolitan area in the world, has consumed the Lake of Texcoco, leaving only the volcanoes as timeless sentinels over the valley of Mexico.