Map of the Outskirts of Mexico City

This oil-on-canvas painting depicts part of Mexico City from above. Specific author or date information does not appear on the work, but it originates sometime in the seventeenth century. It is 119 centimeters wide. Analyzing its contents reveals some aspects of daily life during this period. It depicts an aqueduct on the right side of the piece. Multiple churches are visible by their tall bell towers. The painting also depicts individual lots and some local vegetation. It features a gold and black border. There are many reasons that artists would have depicted this kind of scene. Sometimes, officials commissioned a painting to be displayed in a government building. In these cases, the objective of the work was to display the greatness (wealth, power, and resources) of the town. For this painting, the artists appears to have paid careful attention to depicting the town's natural resources.