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Museo Nacional Del Prado 
- The Prado has an extensive, largely classical collection of art, mainly
focused on works by European artists collected by the Habsburg and Bourbon
Kings.
- The collections, which includes nearly
10,000 paintings of which over 1,000 or on display at a time, include nearly
a thousand years of Spanish paintings, a wonderful collection of Flemish and
Dutch art, a fantastic collection of Italian painting, and noted collections
of French and German art.
- The works of Spanish painters dominate the Prado
and we recommend that you focus your visit on the works of Velazquez,
Goya, El Greco and other noted artists from Espaná.
- If you have time, visit the Flemish and Dutch collection, focusing on
the works of Bosch, Memling, Weyden, Rubens, van Dyck and Brueghel. Bosch’s
much discussed and often acclaimed triptych “the Garden of Earthly Delights”
and “the Table of the Seven Deadly Sins” are standouts of this section of
the Prado's collection.
- Information about the Prado, its collections and details of its
location can be found at the
official website of the museum.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
- Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his father built an
eye-popping, privately held art collection that was housed in the
family’s Villa Favorita in Lugano, Switzerland. When he graciously
decided to share the collection with the public, the Baron’s artwork was
sought by every major museum in the world. In 1993, the Baron agreed to
house his collection in the Palacio de Villahermosa, near the Prado, on
the Paseo del Prado, in Madrid.
- The collection starts with works by the masters from the fourteenth
century and includes important paintings from almost every historically
important artistic movement, including “pop” artwork from the 1960s. The
museum is stunning but does not overwhelm the paintings, which are
numerous but spaced to allow good viewing.
- Information about the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza can be found at the
official website of the museum.
Museo
Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
(the Reina Sofia Museum, also called the Queen Sofia Museum)
- The museum’s collection is focused on abstract art, contains a
number of artists relatively unknown outside of Spain, but the
collection is worthy of your attention.
- The Reina Sofia Art Museum has many treasures, but Picasso’s
Guernica is the most popular work of art in the collection.
- Guernica was Picasso’s response to the bombing of the Basque town
Guernica during the Spanish Civil war, an event which profoundly
affected Picasso's outlook on life. He created the painting as a
political statement about the horrors of war.
- Information about the Reina Sofia Museum can be found at its
official website
Paseo del Arte Card
You can by a Abono Paseo del Arte that allows you to visit the Prado,
Riena Sofia and Thyssen museums once during a year period for a discounted
rate. In addition, the Madrid Tourist Card (shown in an advertisement
to the right) can save you money on these and other attractions.
If you need information about another travel destination, try our
Destination Guide Index or Googling ThereArePlaces.
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| The staff at the Prado have created routes
through the Museum that feature the major works on display.
When visiting, be sure to use the audio guide to appreciate the
wonders that you will see in the Prado. |
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