Which way?

At the garden centre this morning, I was heading for the tills with a trolley full of bedding plants, following the one-way system. Coming towards me was a woman, going the wrong way.  
Member of staff: "excuse me, you need to turn right then right again."
The woman turned left.
Member of staff, pointing: "no - right."
Woman: "oh, THAT right."

I had difficulty choosing a first listen today, as the one I went-for initially turned-out to be dreadful. The next wasn't too bad though - Vampire Weekend's "Contra" on which my favourite track was Cousins.

Today's painting marks the end of my two month's study of a long book on "What Great Paintings Say." The final work is also the largest to date - a mural measuring 4.8 metres high and 15 metres in length, Diego Rivera's Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park (1948.) This shows a large, diverse crowd of people in a stylish Mexico City parkland.

The mural summarises over 400 years of Mexican history.  It is broadly structured around four pyramids of people, at the head of each of which is a key historical figure. 

To the left of the first pyramid is Cortés, the Spanish conqueror of the country in 1521. He subdued the local Aztec population, tried to convert them to Christianity and destroyed their writings He is shown with bloody hands. 

The first pyramid is topped by Benito Juarez, head of state from 1858 to 1872, who is shown holding the country's constitution. Just right of centre is the elderly figure of Porfiro Diaz, who ran the country for 30 years as a dictator, with the help of the army and large landowners.

He was succeeded by Francisco Madera shown on the far right of the picture raising his hat, a liberal-minded capitalist who was imprisoned by Diaz but who took over from him when released in 1911.

Between the figures of Diaz and Madera, on horseback wearing a large hat, is the revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata. He began his resistance in 1909, opposing Diaz but continued to oppose Madera until his death in 1919.  Despite a few victories at the head of his peasants' army, he was betrayed and murdered, becoming a cult figure in the process.

My self-administered art history degree, from the university of our house, continues tomorrow when I am going to begin working my way through two large tomes on 20th century art.  We shall see how that goes.