Art In The Park

On my recent trip to New Mexico when I took forty persons to visit the Stations of the Cross in San Luis, CO, Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel near San Luis, and in New Mexico we went to Chimayo, and the Fiestas of Santa Fe, among other places, I was surprised to see ninety-three works of art lined up in a park. The exhibit surprised me and meant more to me because I came upon it by chance. The bad thing was that I did not have time to see all the paintings by Flemish, Dutch, French and German painters. The first of its kind to come to the United States from the Prado Art Museum in Madrid, Spain was free in the park next to the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. There were ninety-three pictures dating from the 14th to the 19th century. The exhibit opened on May 17 of this year and ends in October.

St. John the Baptist meets his cousin, Jesus with Elizabeth and Mary.

I recognized some of the artists; Goya, El Greco, Rubens and Rembrandt. I remember seeing the originals in Madrid, Spain at the Prado Museum and these photographic replicas look pretty much the same. I would have liked to look at every single picture but being on the tour I had to keep moving!

I felt like the Mad Hatter rushing through the paintings, thinking: I'm late, I'm late for a very important date! There is so much to see in Santa Fe and the procession with the oldest statue of La Conquistadora (1693) was starting in a few minutes and the fabulous art exhibit would not be seen by me on this trip. I hoped that those in my group would visit the wonderful artwork.

"I have three master;

Nature, Velasquez

and Rembrandt."

Francisco Goya