Guanajuato

Description

A colourful and abstract digital illustration in the city of Guanajuato, México. Created in 2020

Most famous as being the birthplace of Mexican Independence, Guanajuato is a city rich in culture, steeped with historical significance, and is one of the most photo-worthy cities in Mexico. Whilst occupation in the region dates back to prehistory, the city of Guanajuato was founded by the Spanish in 1679 after they discovered mineral deposits in the surrounding hills in the early 16th century and after they bloodily conquered the indigenous populations in the region to establish control and settle. At one point in time, Guanajuato was one of the main producers of silver in the world and you can still visit the disused mines today. In the 19th century during Mexico’s fraught fight for independence from European powers, Guanajuato state played an important part in the rebel’s cause, the city of Dolores being the site where Hidalgo gave his cry for independence. In more recent history, Guanajuato has flourished due to its success in trade, industry, and tourism; being a major producer of goods such as auto parts and machinery, and tourist attractions such as the mineral mines, slightly gruesome mummy museum, and it spectacular panoramic viewpoint over the colourful city.

This piece is a study from a visit to the city in January 2019. There are so many winding streets and alleys in the city but I loved the “peeping through” aspect of this view where the colourful city is just visible in the background. To me it captures the beauty of the hilly city scape, but also doesn’t overwhelm the eye with too many houses! Guanajuato is a city I fell in love with easily, in part because of its vibrancy, but also because of its atmosphere and arts scene. It is a sprawling city which doesn’t feel tremendously overwhelming when you’re walking its streets – something I think we can all get on board with!

All prints are printed on high-quality, 280 gsm paper and are printed by Prodigi in the UK.

Please note that delivery may be slightly delayed on all purchases due to restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.