In my previous post I misidentified the statue at the Los Angeles Cathedral. That statue over the door of the cathedral is a representation of the Virgin Mary by the late sculptor Robert Graham.
The Angel Gabriel is really on the mural on the front of the La Placita church near Olvera Street, the first street in Los Angeles, and now a total tourist site. La Placita is the oldest church is L.A. The cornerstone was laid by a Franciscan monk in 1814 on the site of a previous church which was founded in 1784.
When I took the photo on the right I thought: if I could only remove the light standard and ornamental fence, then put old-fashioned clothes on the family walking toward the church it would look just like it did in the early 1800s.
I love old buildings that have lasted through centuries, particularly if a building is still being used for its original purpose. But even repurposed old buildings are okay.
The photo in the courtyard beside La Placita certainly shows that this church is still being used as a parish church. The two little girls are obviously waiting for a wedding to begin. he shiny dress fabric and bright pink color clearly are today’s choices, but the same dresses in white cotton would have been perfect back in the 1800s.
Okay, this is the last post about angel images in Los Angeles–at least for now.
