The Valley of Mexico, with the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl beyond

Chapman sought refuge in Mexico in 1865 at the end of the Civil War, along with many other ex-Confederate soldiers. He stayed there for eighteen months, producing many sketches in and around Mexico City. He returned later in his career, in 1883, adding a larger body of Mexican work to his paintings recording the sites of the Civil War and his continental scenery. The present and following lot, classic picturesque views of the Valley of Mexico, are paintings worked up from Chapman's 1860s sketchbooks, dating to his years in Europe, following his return to the continent from Mexico in 1867.
For a variant of this subject by Chapman, painted in 1866, see Christie's, New York, 25 May 2017, lot 133.