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The Golden Triangle
This term refers to three art galleries, at least two of
which, the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, are among the
most important in the world. They are within ten minutes walk
of each other on the Paseo del Prado.
Museo
del Prado
Unquestionably one of the most important (and oldest) art
galleries in the world. Founded with the former royal collections
as its basis, it was opened to the public in 1819 and now
holds over 30,000 works. As you would expect, its highlights
include pictures by great Spanish painters like Velázquez
(most notably Las Meninas), Goya (the Majas,
clothed and naked, and his powerful documentaries, Dos
de Mayo and Tres de Mayo). Even the relatively
secondary Spanish artists represented here are awesome: Zurbarán,
Murillo, Carreño, and the adopted Spaniard El Greco.
Less predictably, it holds important collections of Flemish
art (including most of Hieronymus Bosch's most renowned works,
especially the Garden of Earthly Delights and The
Seven Deadly Sins) and Italian painting, represented by
works by Raphael, Caravaggio and, most importantly, Titian,
among others. It is absolutely unmissable for anyone with
even a casual interest in art, but be warned that it can be
heavy going and if you try to see everything, you will very
probably flag (especially if you intend to take in the Thyssen-Bornemisza
on the same day), so I recommend being selective on your visit.
The link above is the Prado's official website; these links
will also give you a taste: Spanish
Arts; SoftGuide
Madrid. Another indispensable reference point is the website
of the Fundación
Amigos del Museo del Prado.
Museo
Thyssen-Bornemisza
This museum compares so well with its larger cousin over the
road, the Prado Museum, it makes your jaw drop that one person
(or even one and his father) could accumulate such treasures.
Apart from the paintings themselves, which are unbelievable,
the gallery is much more modern and airy than the Prado, making
for a more relaxed experience. It is an eclectic collection,
ranging from early mediaeval to ultramodern works, which is
nicely taken in by following the recommended route. This begins
with Old Masters (Holbein, Raphael, Carpaccio, Caravaggio,
Canalleto...) on the top floor. On the first floor (second
to Americans) you find a lovely collection of nineteenth-century
romantic and realistic painting: American (James Whistler,
John Singer Sargent...), British and European. From there
you pass with blinding logic to a fabulous collection of impressionists
(Manet, Monet, Renoir) and post-impressionists (Gaugin, Touluse
Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh). Expressionist works (Munch, Kandinsky)
take you out of this floor and down to ground level, where
you find a collection of works labelled al ittle condescendingly
"experimental and avant-garde." ¨These include
works by Picasso, Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, Magritte, Dali,
Liechtensteing, Lucian Freud... practically everyone who was
anyone in twentieth-century art. See also Softguide
Madrid;
Centro
de Arte Reina Sofía
If you have any energy left after the Prado and Thyssen Museums
(and it would be better to do it on a different day), the
nearby Reina Sofía is dedicated to twentieth-century art.
Its permanent collection includes Picasso's Guernica
and interesting works by Spanish artists like Dali, Miró
and the more modern Tapiès and Chillida, as well as
Francis Bacon and Henry Moore. It is also worth watching out
for the exhibitions it puts on. The link above is to the Reina
Sofia's official site; these links will also give you a taste:
Spanish
Arts; Softguide
Madrid;
Next page - Madrid's Lesser
Museums >>
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