The reason Mexican painter Rafael Huerta Carreón was referred to as "El paisajista del Estado de México" (The landscapist of the State of Mexico) was his output of works like this, titled “Popocatépetl” as inked on the stretcher. The snow-capped mountain is a prominent, active volcano located on the border between the states of Puebla and Mexico. Its steep, conical shape classifies it as a stratovolcano prone to explosive eruptions. More worrisome for the size of the population it might impact beyond the small village at its feet, the mountain is situated about 45 miles southeast of Mexico City, the artist’s birthplace. For fifty years, Huerta Carreón portrayed the entirety of his native land’s natural beauty not only with technical mastery but working with a keen eye for natural light. His works were acclaimed and exhibited throughout Mexico and also in Spain. Signed as “Huerta C” and dated, lower right and verso. See detail photos #6 and #9.