Museo Guayasamín and La Capilla del Hombre

Guaysamín museum. Photo by Andrea Davoust

Capilla del hombre. Photo by Andrea Davoust

Once the home and studio of Ecuador's most famous modern artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín, this spacious museum in Bellavista, a northern residential area of Quito, now houses an extensive collection of the artist's own work, from the beginning of his 'career' at the age of 7, right up until his death in 1999. He is famous for his abstract humanist works, that both reflect and denounce the violence of the 20th century with its world wars, civil wars, genocide, concentration camps, dictatorships, and tortures. The museum is also home to some of the artist's extensive collection of archaeological, colonial and contemporary art, which he bequeathed to the city of Quito shortly before he died.

Guayasamín's most ambitions work, however, is the Capilla del Hombre, or 'man's chapel', just up the hill from the museum. Unfortunately it is still unfinished (the artist was still working on it when he died), but it still contains some powerful imagery that reflects his own grim view of Latin American history since the arrival of the Spanish. He wanted to dedicate it to the pre-Columbian man and his 500 years of quiet resistance and struggles against the conquerers. The chapel was inaugurated recently, and the altar holds an eternal flame in defense of peace and human rights.

The standard price for each site is $3 - if you visit both on one day, you get a $1-discount.

Capilla del Hombre open: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Museo Guayasamín open: Monday to Friday 10:00 - 17:00

Location:
Museo Guayasamín: Calle José Bosmediano 543, at José Carbo. Capilla del Hombre: Mariano Calvache y Lorenzo Chavez Esquina
Northern Quito - the "New Town", Quito, Ecuador

Museum

Price Description: $3 each

$1 discount if both are visited on same day.

Contact Information:
Phone: 593-2-246-5265
URL: www.capilladelhombre.com, www.guayasamin.com

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