ACADEMY Of SAN CARLOS. 89 



Fine Arts — known as the Academy of San Carlos, — which 

 contains many fine paintings by Vinci, Valasquez, Titian, 

 Rubens, Perugino, and others. The paintings are situated 

 on the second floor, while on the first floor there is a large 

 hall of sculpture, containing casts of many classic statues. 

 The art gallery is full of interest; it contains several price- 

 less paintings by the old masters, as well as a large number 

 of admirable pictures by native talent, which are remarka- 

 ble for their execution. Two large canvases by Jose Maria 

 Velasco, representing the Valley of Mexico, form fine and 

 striking landscapes, which are surpassed by but few modern 

 painters. The gem of the Academy, however, is, without 

 doubt, the large painting by Felix Parra, a native artist, 

 entitled *'Las Casas protecting the Aztecs from slaughter 

 by the Spaniards." This artist has given us an original 

 conception most perfectly carried out. He is but 

 thirty years of age, and has already made himself famous. 

 The painting received first prize at the Academy of Rome. 

 The Academy also contains an art school free to the youth 

 of the city, and is assisted by the government to the amount 

 of ^35,000 annually. Prizes are given for meritorious 

 work; one annual prize is especially sought for, namely, an 

 allowance of $600 a year for six years, to enable the recipi- 

 ent to study art abroad. The school is free to all, and the 

 son of the peon has as good a right as he with the wealthiest 

 parents. The institution is in a flourishing condition, but 

 lacks the stimulus of an appreciative community to encour- 

 age its growth, and much emulation among its pupils. 



The native has always been a lover of the artistic and 

 beautiful. The Aztec pictures were but early examples of 

 this love struggling to assert itself. There are numerous 

 paintings preserved in the National Museum, which are 

 beautiful specimens of art. Some of these are on deer- 

 skin, and some on papyrus made from the leaves of the 



