Spain and Portugal for Visitors

Posted by : John Ross on Oct 21, 2004 - 02:40 PM Art

The exhibition now on at the Prado Museum looks set to attract almost as much attention as the rest of the collection. Under the heading “The Spanish Portrait. From El Greco to Picasso,” the exhibition features 84 paintings from the Prado's own stock or on loan. In the latter group, the Portrait of Don Justino Neve by Murillo from the National Gallery in London, and The Duchess of Alba by Goya and Portrait of a Girl by Velázquez from the Hispanic Society of America are particularly noteworthy.


In addition to Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya, Bartolomé Murillo, El Greco and Pablo Picasso, painters represented include José de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, and Joan Miró, as well as Juan de Flandes, Pedro Berruguete, Pedro de Campaña, Antonio Moro, Alonso Sánchez Coello, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, Francisco Ribalta, Juan Carreño, Juan Valdés Leal, Antón Rafael Mengs, Luis Meléndez, Luis Paret, Vicente López, Federico de Madrazo, Eduardo Rosales, Joaquín Sorolla, Ramón Casas, Isidre Nonell, Ignacio Zuloaga and Juan Gris. Loosely, the exhibition is organized chronologically, more specifically in sections from "The Origins," to "The Court Portrait," "El Greco And Velázquez," "Portrait and Religion," "Velázquez And Goya" (two rooms), "Portrait and Reality," "Goya and the 18th-century," "The 19th Century," "Zuloaga and Picasso" (two rooms) and "Equestrian Portraits."

The exhibition will run until February 6, 2005, and is open Tuesdays to Sundays and public holidays 9am to 7pm. (last entry booked ticket 5.30 pm), but note that on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Epiphany (the last day), it will only be open in the morning. Queues will be long so, if your time is tight, consider booking your ticket online through El Corte Inglés. When you buy these tickets you are asked to select your preferred timeslot, and you will have to collect them before visiting the Prado itself.