in the commission because he combined a skill for painting miniatures with a knowledge of topography. The prints he made during the project numbered about thirty, and are divided thematically into landscapes of natural phenomena, sites of historical and archaeological significance, roads, ethnic groups and customs. He resigned from this position in 1852, due to disagreements with the other members, and returned to Venezuela. Shortly after, he traveled to France to perfect his skills. He stayed there for a few years, then came back to Caracas to take an appointment as Director of the Institute of Fine Arts, a position he held until his death in 1887. Between 1870 and 1873, he created a series of tempera landscapes of Zulia State. He also decorated the Paéz's home in Valencia as well as designing the "Plaza de Bolívar" in Maracaibo and planning restorative work on Solano Castle in Puerto Cabello. His most famous work is his portrait of Bolivar, painted in 1873 and later used on several denominations of the Venezuelan Bolívar banknote. Selected drawings and paintings References External links Colombia en cuatro tiempos: Carmelo Fernández 1809–1887. Venezuelan painters People from Yaracuy 1809 births 1887 deaths Burials at the National Pantheon of Venezuela