Spain

Spanish Art Museum – Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado)

Spanish Art Museum – Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado)
Prado in Madrid is one of the golden triangles of the Spanish Art Museum.

Prado museum (Spanish Art Museum) is one of the greatest art museums along with the Louvre in Paris and Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. And founded on the Spanish Royal Collection. Additionally, it proudly represents the world’s finest collections of European art from the 12th to the early 20th century. Moreover, the collections are currently very famous because it contents around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures. Also, the Prado museum exhibits only 10% of the collection even it is one of the largest museums in Spain because of this massive amount of art pieces. However, visitors can enjoy various viewing through the periodic painting replacement.

The Golden Triangle of Spanish Art Museum

The Golden Triangle of Spanish Art Museum

Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Reina Sofia Museum are famous as the Golden Triangle of Spanish Art Museum.

Visiting the 3 best Spanish art museums in Madrid and soak yourself into the essence of the Spanish art world.

prado-museum

If you are an art lover, you mustn’t miss these places! Prado Museum is one of the best Spanish art museums in the world with numerous artworks. And Thyssen-Bornemisza museum proudly presents the second-largest private collection. Lastly, you can see the current and the future of Spanish arts in the Reina Sofia contemporary art museum.

Spanish Art

If you are an art lover, there are some places you shouldn’t miss out! Prado Museum is one of the best Spanish Art museum in the world with the numerous artworks. And Thyssen-Bornemisza museum proudly presents the second-largest private collection. Lastly, you can see the current and the future of Spanish arts in Reina Sofia contemporary arts museum.

Before we get into the museums, let’s find out the 3 painters representing Spanish art history.

El Greco
El Greco
(1 October, 1541 – 7 April, 1614)

A Greek painter was born in Crete, but he is one of the most important painter in Spanish Arts history. Doménikos Theotokópoulos was his original name and started to use “El Greco” (means “The Greek”) when he was studying in Venice. Then, trained Post-Byzantine art in Greece and enriched his style leaning Mannerism and the Venetian Renaissance in Italy. When El Grego moved to Spain in 1577 after he failed to get royal patronage, he worked for a variety of religious institutions. His painting characterises extremely elongated figures and intense contrast, combined with Byzantine traditions and Renaissance painting. You can find his masterpieces in one of 3-Spanish Art Museum.

Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
(6 June, 1599 – 6 August, 1660)

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in Seville who became one of the genius painters in 17th century of Spain. Moreover, he performed as the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV painting scores of portraits of the Spanish royal family and commoners. No doubt, he was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period which influenced many 19th-century realist and impressionist painters.

Francisco de Goya
Francisco de Goya
(30 March, 1746 – 16 April, 1828)

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. Performed as a court painter, He left many works that become a foundation to be a representative of 18th-century Spanish painting. In other words, he is known as a genius painter who showed the beginning of Impressionism. Especially, away from classical tendencies. Also his destructive and extremely subjective sense and bold brush touches have influenced later painters. Eespecially, Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso.

Our picks

Spanish Art Museum - Prado Museum

Skip the Line Guided Tour: The best of Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen (Spanish Art Museum)

Guided tour visiting 3 golden triangles of Spanish Art Museum from Prado, Thyssen to Reina Sofia museums.
The tour starts at 10am to 3pm for 5hours, also a drink and a tapa included on a break after Thyssen tour.

Please click the link on the picture for more information.

Our picks2

Skip the Line Guided Tour Prado Museum (Spanish Art Museum)

Guided tour visiting Prado museum to learn the most important Spanish arts and the royal collections.
The duration of the tour is 1.5 hours.
Noted that the provided admission ticket is valid for all day.

Please click the link on the picture for more information.​

What you must see in Prado Museum

The-Nobleman-with-his-Hand-on-his-Chest-1580-El-Greco

The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest, 1580 El Greco

It is one of the most famous portraits among El Greco works in Toledo because of The impressive contrast of the white ruffs and the blank clothes. We are guessing that the gentleman in the picture is Juan de Silva y Ribera, the 3rd Marquis of Montemayor.

Las Meninas, between 1656 and 1657 Diego Velázquez

Las Meninas, between 1656 and 1657 Diego Velázquez

One of Velázquez's largest painting is Las Meninas. This means The Ladies-in-waiting in Spanish. In addition, it is one of the most famous masterpieces in art history influenced by many poets and novels. As you may find, he painted himself in the picture.

The Third of May 1808, 1814 Francisco Goya

The Third of May 1808, 1814 Francisco Goya

The Third of May 1808 commemorates the events surrounding Madrid. At that time of Madrid had an uprising against the French occupying forces of the previous day. The nail marks on the two hands of the man in the white shirts remind of sacrificed Jesus

The Descent from the Cross, 1435 Rogier van der Weyden

The Descent from the Cross, 1435 Rogier van der Weyden

Rogier van der Weyden was an Early Netherlandish painter and one of the three great Early Flemish artists in the 15 century. And it brings humanity from the various sorrowful faces of people in the picture.

The Garden of Earthly Delights, between 1480 and 1505 Hieronymus Bosch

The Garden of Earthly Delights, between 1480 and 1505 Hieronymus Bosch

Bosch attempted to depict the whole of human experience from life to the afterlife in three related canvases. Firstly, it represents Paradise on the left. The last on the right is hell. And in the centre lies The Garden of Earthly Delights.

Informative things

Prado Museum opening and closing times

Monday to Saturday, 10 AM – 8 PM

Sundays and holidays, 10 AM –  5 PM

Access to the Museum up to half an hour before closing

CLOSED: January 1st, May 1st, December 25th

January 6, December 24 & 31 – 10 AM – 2PM

How to get there

Metro: Atocha station (Blue Line L1) or Banco de Espana station (Red Line L2).
By Bus: Lines 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37 and 45

Easily accessible entrances from the stations: Jerónimos Entrance or Goya Entrance on Felipe IV Street

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