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This stunning 1830s lithograph by Carl Nebel captures a sweeping view of Guanajuato, a historically significant mining city nestled in the rugged hills of central Mexico. Taken from the Cerro de San Miguel, the scene presents a partial view of the city, with its dense arrangement of white-washed buildings spilling through the valley, framed by rolling hills. Notable landmarks such as the parish church, smaller chapels, the theater, the academy, and military barracks are discernible. In the foreground, a picturesque road winds down the hillside, populated by mule drivers and horsemen, emphasizing the city's active trade and transport.
Carl Nebel, a German artist and traveler, visited Mexico in the late 1820s and early 1830s, meticulously documenting its landscapes, cities, and people. His work, later published in Voyage pittoresque et archéologique dans la partie la plus intéressante du Méxique (1836), remains an invaluable visual record of early independent Mexico. Guanajuato was one of the world's richest silver mining centers, having flourished since the colonial period with the wealth of mines like La Valenciana. By the 1830s, despite Mexico’s post-independence turmoil, Guanajuato remained a hub of economic and cultural activity. Nebel’s lithograph masterfully conveys the city's striking topography, bustling life, and enduring significance in Mexico’s mining history.
The artist described this view of the city of Guanajuato as follows:
This view is taken from the hill of San Miguel; only a part of the city can be seen here, while the rest extends behind the hills to the left. Several main buildings can be distinguished, such as the theater, part of the parish church and other small churches, the academy, a barracks, the market, etc.
Esta vista está tomada desde el cerro de San Miguel; se ve solamente aquí una parte de la ciudad; el resto se extiende por detrás de los cerros a mano izquierda. Se distinguen varios edificios principales; tales son: el teatro, parte de la parroquia y otras iglesias pequeñas, la academia, un cuartel, el mercado, etc.
A fine early 19th-century lithograph view of an important Mexican city.
Carl Nebel (1805-1855) was a German artist and lithographer known for his detailed and vivid depictions of Mexico in the mid-19th century. After traveling to Mexico in the 1820s, Nebel captured the country's landscapes, architecture, and everyday life through a series of lithographic views that gained widespread acclaim. His most notable work, Voyage pittoresque et archéologique dans la partie la plus intéressante du Méxique (1836), featured 50 hand-colored lithographs that offered European audiences a rare visual insight into Mexican culture and scenery. Nebel's work was characterized by uncommon attention to detail and color, making his lithographs important visual documents that chronicled Mexico during a period of significant social and political change. His work was also featured in The War Between the United States and Mexico (1851), perhaps the most ambitious color plate book of the Mexican War, on which he collaborated with George Wilkins Kendall.
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