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Madrid is a world centre for art, and not just the Spanish masters, Madrid is also an International Art centre. Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Picasso, Joan Miro and others are all here in Madrid's three famous art galleries which make up the now nicknamed Golden Art Triangle. Most popular is the Prado Museum for which there are understandable queues to get in daily - the world's best collection of Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Goya and El Greco paintings are in here. More contemporary Spanish master artists like Picasso have spent hours studying Velazquez and Goya in the Prado. Take a lesson from Picasso - the Prado is huge and demands several visits and many hours to appreciate the art gems in here.
Madrid's two other acclaimed art galleries - the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen Bornemisza can be overshadowed by the Prado, however they are equally superb for different reasons. Picasso's most famous work, and a huge panorama with intense political meaning - 'Guernica' is in Madrid's Reina Sofia gallery and naturally draws much attention. More Picasso paintings, alongside works by Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Gris and Gonzalez are also in the Reina Sofia which focuses on 19th century to the present art. Art at Madrid's third famous art gallery - the Thysson is eclectic indeed, reflexive of the fact that this was a private collection. Flemish, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo to Neoclassicism are all themes well covered in the collection. Surrealism, pop art and Modernism from both Europe and America are particularly well represented. You can expect to see plenty of Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer and Dali, alongside Picasso and Miro. The eclectic mix is the Thyssen's appeal, as you suddenly stumble on say Kurt Schwitters or Georgia O'Keeffe. Collections held in each of the three Madrid art galleries are comprehensively listed via their websites linked right.
Where to start with the Prado - so much great art in one place can frazzle the brain! Starting with the new, the Prado Museum's new extension opened to great acclaim, and much dressing up, across the Spanish Fiesta holiday in late October/early November 2007. The Prado needed the extra space for sure, and in here you'll find some of its huge lesser known collection of 19th century paintings. The new building sits on the site of the now demolished Jeronimos monastery. Like the icing on the cake, the now superb collection of 19th century Spanish art including work by Antonio Gisbert (note his 'Execution of Torrijos and his Companions at Malaga Seaside') means the Prado's art flows through from Goya into the 19th century. Further extensions and spruce ups are afoot in the Prado's annexe - the Cason del Buen Retiro opposite Retiro Park, and due to open soon.
The neo-classical Prado is actually one of the world's first public art galleries, open in 1819. Intended initially as a Natural Science museum, it ended up housing the Royal Art collection and has grown ever since. If you've only time for one visit head straight for the Velzquez, Goya and El Greco collections. Alongside Spanish masterpieces such as Velazquez's 'The Family of Felipe IV, or Las Meninas' (view it on the Prado's weblink right) and Francisco de Goya's 'The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid: the executions on Principe Pio Hill', you've also masterpieces by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Fafael, Hieronymus Bosch and El Greco. Goya's two Majas sit side by side, 'La Maja Desnuda' (1797-1800) and 'La Maja Vestida' (1800-1805). Move along to see too Goya's famous satire, 'La Familia de Carlos IV(1800) (Timeout's Guide to Madrid offers an excellent analysis of this most famous Goya painting). Recent temporary exhibitions at the Prado have displayed famous Goya etchings such as 'El Toro Mariposa' (1824-1828). Goya paintings such as 'Saturno Devorado a un hijo' (1819-1823) are also here in the Prado.
The Prado Museum is where to head for the world's largest collection of Diego Velazquez. Velazquez's huge panoramas fill several Velazquez rooms on the first floor. Alongside what is frequently pointed to as the world's greatest painting - Las Meninas, which gets due pride of place, are other Velazquez greats such as 'El Principe Baltasar Carlos a Caballo (1635-1636). Most are portraits, particularly of the Royal Family to whom he was main portrait painter, but there are other Velzquez masterpieces here depicting Royal dwarfs and 'Los Borrachos', the Drunkards, the latter of which appears in reproduction in the odd Madrid bar!
Museo Nacional del Prado, Ruiz de Alarcon, 23 28014 Madrid, Spain. Tel. (00 34) 902 10 70 77. (see Prado Museum's weblink right for collection details, and more news on the new extension and selection of 19th century art now on display).
The Reina Sofia Madrid Art Gallery sits just up from Madrid's Atocha Station. housed in a relatively new and architecturally interesting building, the Reina Sofia is home to one, if not the, most famous Picasso painting - Guernica.
Spread across four floor spaces, two of which are temporary exhibition spaces, the Reina Sofia is a little more manageable than the Prado. Artistic mediums represented here in the Reina Sofia's approximately 16,200 works are broad and include paintings, sculpture, prints and photographs. Leaning towards the contemporary, Guernica (1937) isn't the only Picasso here, there's much more of his work. Plus the context of 'Guernica' is marvellously explored through Picasso's many drawings and prior work leading upto the masterpiece - for example his many etchings of the Minotaur, women's heads and woman with child and his horses' heads and bulls are on display around the finished 'Guernica' masterpiece. Unsure initially about taking any political role in the Spanish Civil War, after the bombing of the small Basque town Guernica by German Luftwaffe planes serving Franco's Nationalists, Picasso produced 'Guernica' in support of the Republican cause against Franco. Guernica first went on display at the Paris World's Fair in 1937. Other etchings by Picasso explore the lie of Franco in a panel series called 'Dream and Lie of Franco (Jan 1937). In these Franco is depicted by Picasso as a monster.
Contemporary Spanish art is superbly represented at the Reina Sofia, and includes, alongside Picasso, Juan Gris, Antoni Tapies, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali. Move to the 4th flour for work by international contemporary greats such as Mark Rothko, Francis Bacon, Henry Moore and watch out for hidden gems by the likes of Louise Bourgeois. Photographic displays at the Reina Sofia have recently included the work of Robert Capa, prolific photographer of the Spanish Civil War. His photographs depict scenes such as the bombed famous Madrid street Gran Via (nicknamed Howitzer Avenue' during the war). Gran Via was extensively bombed by Nationalist forces entrenched at Casa de Campo. For information on Robert Capa's photography, and more on the Reina Sofia's extensive collection checkout this Madrid Art Gallery's weblink right.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Santa Isabel, 52 28012, Madrid, Spain. Tel. 91 774 10 10. (See Reina Sofia weblink right for excellent images and detail on the collection here).
Edward Hopper, Richard Estes, Winslow Homer, Duccio and an outstanding collection of Dutch Art are all at the Thyssen. An eclectic mix, mainly the collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Family built up over two generations, although there are temporary exhibitions - for example work from the Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluna (MNAC) in Barcelona has been on display here. The Thyssen is a joy for its variety.
Thematic art areas all covered well here include German Expressionism, 19th century North American art, 20th century Pop Art, Cubism and Avant-garde, the Renaissance and Classicism periods and Dutch Art focused on Realism spanning from the 17th century Frans Halls to 20th century Max Beckmann. Whatever your artistic preference, you're likely to find some representation in the Thyssen.
The Tyssen is a friendly gallery, laid out chronologically across four floors (suggested itinerary is to start on the Second Floor Room 1, beginning with the Italian Primitives and ending on that floor with the Thyssen's Dutch Paintings from the 17th century, mostly portraits. Highlights will be according to taste. The Thyssen holds some excellent photo art by North American artist Richard Estes, and you'll happen upon a fair few pieces by Dali and the odd Goya (El tio paquete, 1820). Other artists represented include Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrant, Miro, Pollock Rothki, Picasso, Renoir, Degas and Manet.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Tyssen Madrid Art Gallery, Palacio De Villahemosa, Paseo del Prado, 8 28014 Madrid. Tel. (00 34) 914 203 944. The Tyssen's art shop is the best, and most extensive, of the three Madrid art galleries.
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