 Humboldt ultimately viewed both the prehispanic realms of Mexico and Peru as despotic and barbaric.However, he also drew attention to indigenous monuments and artifacts as cultural productions that had "both ... historical "and" artistic significance".One of his most widely read publications resulting from his travels and investigations in Spanish America was the "Essai politique sur le royaum de la Nouvelle Espagne", quickly translated to English as "Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain" (1811).