The Dolores Olmedo museum in Mexico City is a popular stop mainly to see the large collection of paintings by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, but the museum also boasts an impressive collection of folk art from around Mexico, as well as Pre-Hispanic figurines and sculptures, and also presents temporary exhibits on a variety of themes.
The museum is located on a large property that was owned by businesswoman, art collector and socialite Dolores Olmedo, who also modeled for Diego Rivera numerous times.
The grounds are extensive and there are a great
many peacocks roaming around the gardens as well as
xoloitzcuintles, hairless Mexican dogs.
The collection:This collection has a great many Diego Rivera paintings, including some of his early work, much of which was painted during his years in Europe - he lived there from 1907 to 1921.
You can see his Cubist period, and how he
developed as an artist over time. During his final year, Rivera lived at
Dolores Olmedo's home in Acapulco.
To keep himself busy, for a time he painted the sunset every evening
and you can see a whole wall covered with the sunsets he painted during
this time. His final painting of watermelons is also exhibited here, an
interesting choice of subject matter since the last painting attributed
to Frida Kahlo is also of watermelons. Just before her death in 1954 she
wrote on the painting "Viva la Vida" (Long live life).
Frida
Kahlo was much less prolific than her husband, completing only about 200
works in her entire career, but here you can see one of the largest
collections of her work in one place.
Dolores Olmedo was not terribly fond of Frida and
her work (they had an ongoing rivalry), but she trusted Diego's opinion
and bought many of Frida's paintings as a favor to him. There are over
20 paintings by Frida in the museum, including The Broken Column, My Nurse and I, The Bus, and Self Portrait with Monkey.
The museum organizes lively festivities for Day of the Dead, so if you're visiting during that time of year, this is a great choice for a visit.
Hours and admission:
The museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm every day of the week except Mondays. Admission is 20 pesos for Mexican citizens and 75 pesos for foreign visitors. Admission is free for all visitors on Tuesdays.
How to get there:
Take the Mexico City metro to Tasqueña (end of the blue line), then take the light rail to La Noria. Exiting the light rail station, walk straight, then veer to the left continuing without crossing the street until just in front of the museum.
Contact information:
Website: www.museodoloresolmedo.org.mx
Social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Address: Avenida Mexico 5843, Colonia La Noria, Xochimilco, Ciudad de Mexico
Phone: +52 55 5555 1221 or 5555 0891
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