Don Quixote Guanajuato Mexico

February 2016 - Guanajuato Mexico

I showed a few photos from the Don Quixote Museum here. But there was so much more to show.

Why has Don Quixote inspired so much art? Thanks to Wikipedia I learned this.

The novel Don Quixote, fully titled The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha, was written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. Published in two volumes a decade apart (in 1605 and 1615), Don Quixote is one of the most influential works of literature from the Spanish Golden Age in the Spanish literary canon. As a founding work of modern Western literature, it regularly appears high on lists of the greatest works of fiction ever published. It has been the inspiration for a wide array of cultural adaptations.

Before we arrive at the museum we pass the Cervantes libray.

Outside the museum.

Hidden in the corner is a statue of Cervantes.

In 1939, Spanish exile Eulalio Ferrer arrives in Mexico (with 19 years of age) after the fall of the Spanish Republic and his survival of the horrible death that other Spaniards had to face in French concentration camps. His experiences as a soldier led him to find a connection between himself and Don Quixote; he saw Don Quixote as a fight for justice and a cry for all humanity. He found his new hope in the quixotic figure that embraces human kindness and determination. He made his life in Mexico City as a publicist and became extremely successful and financially stable – with his monetary wealth he collected Don Quixote art (paintings, sculptures, ceramics, paraphernalia) and a managed to create his own bibliography as a special collection. When he noticed that his collection was extensive and that it would be more beneficial to share that information with other scholars and “citizens of humanity” he decided to donate his personal collection as a thankful gesture to Mexico for taking him in with open arms during his exile and for making this country his permanent home.
Once inside this is the first image in the gallery on the left.
Octavio Ocampo (born 28 February 1943 in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico) is a Mexican surrealist painter. Octavio Ocampo is one of Mexico's most prolific artists.

The courtyard of the museum.

There is an incredible mural in another room, but I am saving it!!
Along the stair case more murals.

A stunning wood carving.

Lining the hallway.

The room of ceramic sculptures of Don was the most impressive. The photos don't do it any justice.

Closeup of the book at the bottom.

You can find Don all over town, here he is near the theatre.

Outside San Roque Church.

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