Guadalajara WILL Do, Part 2

José Clemente Orozco murals in the Major Chapel of the Museo Cabañas

Let's say it right now. The Nerd-Kings of 1970s AOR Music were very wrong, at least about Guadalajara. In their song "My Old School," Steely Dan sang that line "Whoa no / Guadalajara won't do." That is not true. Guadalajara will do. Thank you very much. Guadalajara will do as a great mini-vacation destination.

At least I'm enjoying the place so far. On with the walking tour of Centro Historico:

The next destination in the walking tour will be Museo Cabañas, the repurposed Hospicio Cabañas. But first:

Sala de los Magos. Translation: Hall of Magicians.

This is a series of scupltures that I would describe as being chair-shaped space aliens.

They are chairs. And they are space aliens. Hence: chair-shaped space aliens.

There is something similar on the Boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta (named for Ignacio Vallarta) (you remember him from Part 1 of this Walking Tour). Only in Puerto Vallarta it's not called the "Boardwalk." It's called the "Malecon." Because it's not made of boards. It's concrete.

They got bronze chair-shaped aliens there, too.

Because who would not want bronze chair-shaped alien scupltures in their community.

This must be a child-sized bronze alien chair:

The Sala de los Magos is just outside the Hospicio Cabañas, which, as previously stated, has now been repurposed into the Museo Cabañas.

It's now an art museum. Let's have a look-see inside.

This one is called "Fratricida," by the artist Antonio Ramirez. I kinda like it, believe it or not.

This one also was interesting:

The kid has horror-movie dead eyes. Yet it's called "Primavera." "Spring." Go figure.

Next up is the "folk art" section. I give you the highlights:

A chicken. And because this is a Friday in Lent, a fish:

And the bronze death mask of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.

Diego Rivera was a communist. But he's my favorite kind of communist. A dead communist. I also found him to be a talented artist. I really do like his stuff.

Speaking or muralists, we now reach the whole reason for coming to Museo Cabañas: the murals of José Clemente Orozco in the Major Chapel of Museo Cabañas.

The murals are quite stunning. I'm not going to post pictures of all of them.

Even though I photographed every single one.

Lots of grays and reds in the artist's pallette.

It's not just the walls; it's the ceilings, too.

Orozco is probably the most renowned muralist in Mexico after Diego Rivera.

More ceiling panels. Which I photographed laying flat on my back because why not? I won't be seeing anyone I saw in here ever again.

The dome of the Major Chapel.

Another ceiling panel. Another photo shot laying on my back.

This was worth the walk.

Time to exit the Major Chapel to explore more of the grounds.

Not sure of the nearby church contributing the two spires in this photo:

This is the Tolsa Chapel.

And here I am. 

First decent selfie of the day. After a big tall cup of black coffee, it will be on with the walking tour of Centro Historico.