Adjoining the church is the 18th century building which was once a hospital run by the Dominican order.
Today the building is the Franz Mayer Museum. Franz Mayer was a Jewish German financier who settled in Mexico in the early 1900s. His collection of decorative arts is the largest in Latin American, and was bequeathed to the Mexican people upon his death.
I visited the museum on an earlier trip, but on Friday I returned to see a special exhibit on Mexico's patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe. According to tradition, the Virgin appeared to a poor Indian by the name of Juan Diego in December of 1532. He was commanded by the Virgin to pick roses and take them to the Bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumárraga. When Juan Diego opened his cloak in which he carried the roses there was a miraculous image of the Virgin imprinted upon his cloak.
There has been considerable debate, even within the Church, as to the veracity of those events. One of the greatest arguments against the story is that Juan de Zumárraga does not once mention in his extensive writings the miracle which he supposedly witnessed. However, as my friend Alejandro says, the miracle of the Virgin of Guadalupe is not about whether those events really happened, but how that image united Mexico. Whether you are a believer or not, there is no denying the deep impact that the Virgin of Guadalupe has had on Mexican culture.
The exhibit at the Franz Mayer museum includes depictions of the Virgin in religious art and in popular culture.
An early, 16th century image of Juan Diego and the Virgin on a wooden board
Two 18th century altar pieces featuring the Virgin of Guadalupe
A oil painting done in 1709 depict the opening of the Sanctuary of Guadalupe on the spot where the Virgin supposedly appeared to Juan Diego.
Primitive votive paintings giving thanks for prayers answered by the Virgin of Guadalupe
Commemorative metal cookie boxes from Nabisco in the 1950s show scenes of the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Whether you are a believer or not, this Pepsi advertisement comes across as sacrilegious.
A man's polyester shirt... made in Vietnam
A woman's hand embroidered blouse
A crocheted tablecloth
A picture created with hundreds of colored beads
Sounds like there are some interesting temporary exhibits at some CDMX museums at the moment.
ReplyDeleteFranz Mayer is a pretty good little museum, though with so many throughout the city, I don't know that it'd make my top ten.
Like you, I am fascinated by the story behind the Virgin de Guadalupe. Did you ever visit the small museum of retablos in the back of the original Basilica de Guadalupe? It has limited opening hours but is worth checking out.
Great post!
Great idea, I might just do that!
ReplyDelete-Scott