José María Velasco Monument, Misterios

The José María Velasco Monument occupies an unusually quiet traffic circle on busy Calzada de los Misterios. The monument honors one of the Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero‘s most famous residents.

• José María Velasco (1840–1912) was the most famous Mexican painter of the 19th century. Born in Mexico State, Velasco’s long career introduced the Landscape genre to the Mexican public and caught the attention of much of the Western world. He’s often credited with instilling a sense of Mexican identity in citizens of the still young republic. Velasco lived and worked for the latter half of his life in a home within the Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo, today’s Gustavo A. Madero, in the north of Mexico City. A museum in Toluca, the capital of Mexico State, is dedicated entirely to the study and preservation of Velasco’s work. The collection of the National Museum of Art also contains some of his best works.

The monument is the 1976 work of sculptor, Lorenzo Rafael (1940-2020). Rafael is likely best remembered for having designed the medals awarded at the 1968 Olympics. His monumental works are present across much of Mexico.

This work was a gift from the State of Mexico to Mexico City. Dedicated in 1977 on the west side of the traffic circle, the City later moved the statue to the present location.