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The Bellas Artes (Fine Arts) Museum is a 4 minute walk from my house, according to google maps. These days it’s more like a 15 minute painful hobble, but still. IT’S NOT FAR. And I don’t go there nearly often enough. Especially considering that residents get in for free. It’s housed in a stunning ex-convent and is worth going just to see the building. But the collections are also spectacular, and this new one caught my interest.
The Hospital de la Caridad (Charity Hospital), founded in 1663 by Miguel de Mañara, is undergoing quite extensive renovations and so they have moved their art collection over to the museum until work is finished. This means works that were previously hung at various levels, behind the altar, etc inside the church can now be seen in a gallery setting at eye level. These include paintings by Murillo and Valdés Leal and sculptures by Roldán. Wow.
I mean, pretty special just to see these pieces up close, but for me it was the whole theme that moved me as well. Charity and mercy… taking care of those around you. Okay, this was mostly so that you’d end up going to heaven, but still, it’s not a bad message. Look at DEATH down there standing on now totally useless wordly possessions, reminding us that you can’t take it with you.
There were 17 works in all and by the end I could only think of how far we have strayed from caring about our fellow humans. Though maybe it’s always been that way, otherwise why create this whole heaven/hell myth to scare people into behaving with compassion and basic decency? I dunno… getting very tired of the world these days. And am pretty much fed up with people. Not ALL people, obviously (not you guys!) but you know what I mean. Thank god for cats.
