Oaxaca Cathedral

What you see

The cathedral rises at an angle on the left half of the canvas, its carved stone facade framed by two square towers crowned with domes and crosses. In front stretches a huge, nearly empty plaza scattered with tiny figures. Far off on the right, an arcaded building with a flag on top closes the view, with hills behind.

A golden light falls across the facade and the square, while long shadows streak the ground. Velasco records every relief and niche of the portal with patience. Look for the market in the lower left corner, with its heaps of reddish goods, the red-roofed kiosk beside the arcades and the curving rails in the foreground.