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Famous Madrid Museums
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Published: August 23, 2006
Madrid is saturated in museums and halls for learning, but three Madrid museums are considered the city’s crown jewels. They are the Museo del Prado (the Prado), the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (the Reina Sofia).
Some of the most celebrated paintings in the world, including Francisco Goya's “The Nude Maja” and Pablo Picasso's “Guernica” can be found in this "Golden Triangle" of Madrid museums.
The Prado has the most extensive collection of all Madrid museums. It also is one of the largest in the world. The Prado was supposed to be a natural history museum when it was founded in the 1700s. However, Joseph Bonaparte, who ruled Spain from 1808 to 1813, decided it would be an art museum instead. The Prado opened in 1819 with a royal collection dating back to Isabella and Fernando's reign in the late 1400s.
Since then, the number of paintings at this fabled Madrid museum has grown to more than 10,000. Between 1,500 and 2,000 are on exhibit at any given time. The works of El Greco and Diego Velasquez are showcased here. Paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Raphael and Botticelli also are housed in this Madrid museum.
Many visitors are fascinated with one painting in particular, Bosch's “Garden of Earthly Delights.” Bosch spread his vision of Heaven, Hell and all the temptations that lie between across three wooden panels. It is as surreal as a Salvador Dali impression of Playboy Magazine crossed with Mad Magazine.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza opened in 1992, in the Palacio de Villahermosa. It has a much smaller collection than the Prado, about 800 pieces. However, it is more diversified as it includes sculptures, tapestries, carvings and paintings.
The inspiration for this Madrid museum sprang from the private collection of Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza. When he died, he split his collection among his sons and daughters. One son, Hans Heinrich, devoted his life to uniting the collection under one roof. The Thyssen-Bornemisza now houses not only the baron's original masterpieces, but also works by artists such as Van Dyke, Raphael, Renoir, Picasso and Miro, along with some 19th century American artists.
Speaking of Dali, the artist’s “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Waking Up,” replete with spidery-legged elephants and tigers jumping from fish mouths, resides in the Thyssen. There, it co-exists peacefully with Peeter Neeffs’ “Church Interior” and Martin Johnson Heade's “Sunrise in Nicaragua,” proving there is something for everyone at this eclectic Madrid museum.
The Reina Sofia is the last of Madrid's "Big Three" art museums. Named after Queen Sofia, this Madrid museum concentrates on contemporary art and boasts an extensive art library. It opened in 1992.
The museum's centerpiece is “Guernica,” Picasso's powerfully abstract vision of the horror inflicted on that town during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica was singled out for Nazi bombing practice in 1937. Guernica burned for three days, killing 1,600 people.
The 11.5' x 26' mural debuted at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris. It displeased Francisco Franco, the fascist leader who eventually overthrew the Spanish government and was supported by the Nazis.
As a result, Picasso sent the painting "into exile" at the start of World War II. It did not return to Spain until 1981, eight years after the artist's death. “Guernica” stayed at the Prado before moving to the Reina Sofia in 1992.
Art might be king among Madrid museums, but some of the smaller historical museums are also intriguing. If gemstones are your thing, catch their sparkle at the Museo de Mineralogia. The Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativa celebrates centuries of Spanish décor and home arts.
Do you go buggy about bugs and other living things? Then the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Natural Science) is the place for you. And if you are fascinated by money, visit the Museo Casa de la Moneda (House of Money). You do not have to be a coin collector to enjoy seeing the evolution of coins and paper money throughout the ages.
Finally, enjoy a true work of art – a tasty Iberica ham sandwich – at one of the El Museo de Jamon stores (Museum of Ham) after seeing the wonders of the Madrid museums.
More information about the three Madrid museums that make up the "Golden Triangle" can be found at their official websites:
The Prado Museum
http://museoprado.mcu.es
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
www.museothyssen.org
The Reina Sofia National Museum of Contemporary Art
www.museoreinasofia.es
Some of the most celebrated paintings in the world, including Francisco Goya's “The Nude Maja” and Pablo Picasso's “Guernica” can be found in this "Golden Triangle" of Madrid museums.
The Prado has the most extensive collection of all Madrid museums. It also is one of the largest in the world. The Prado was supposed to be a natural history museum when it was founded in the 1700s. However, Joseph Bonaparte, who ruled Spain from 1808 to 1813, decided it would be an art museum instead. The Prado opened in 1819 with a royal collection dating back to Isabella and Fernando's reign in the late 1400s.
Since then, the number of paintings at this fabled Madrid museum has grown to more than 10,000. Between 1,500 and 2,000 are on exhibit at any given time. The works of El Greco and Diego Velasquez are showcased here. Paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Raphael and Botticelli also are housed in this Madrid museum.
Many visitors are fascinated with one painting in particular, Bosch's “Garden of Earthly Delights.” Bosch spread his vision of Heaven, Hell and all the temptations that lie between across three wooden panels. It is as surreal as a Salvador Dali impression of Playboy Magazine crossed with Mad Magazine.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza opened in 1992, in the Palacio de Villahermosa. It has a much smaller collection than the Prado, about 800 pieces. However, it is more diversified as it includes sculptures, tapestries, carvings and paintings.
The inspiration for this Madrid museum sprang from the private collection of Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza. When he died, he split his collection among his sons and daughters. One son, Hans Heinrich, devoted his life to uniting the collection under one roof. The Thyssen-Bornemisza now houses not only the baron's original masterpieces, but also works by artists such as Van Dyke, Raphael, Renoir, Picasso and Miro, along with some 19th century American artists.
Speaking of Dali, the artist’s “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Waking Up,” replete with spidery-legged elephants and tigers jumping from fish mouths, resides in the Thyssen. There, it co-exists peacefully with Peeter Neeffs’ “Church Interior” and Martin Johnson Heade's “Sunrise in Nicaragua,” proving there is something for everyone at this eclectic Madrid museum.
The Reina Sofia is the last of Madrid's "Big Three" art museums. Named after Queen Sofia, this Madrid museum concentrates on contemporary art and boasts an extensive art library. It opened in 1992.
The museum's centerpiece is “Guernica,” Picasso's powerfully abstract vision of the horror inflicted on that town during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica was singled out for Nazi bombing practice in 1937. Guernica burned for three days, killing 1,600 people.
The 11.5' x 26' mural debuted at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris. It displeased Francisco Franco, the fascist leader who eventually overthrew the Spanish government and was supported by the Nazis.
As a result, Picasso sent the painting "into exile" at the start of World War II. It did not return to Spain until 1981, eight years after the artist's death. “Guernica” stayed at the Prado before moving to the Reina Sofia in 1992.
Art might be king among Madrid museums, but some of the smaller historical museums are also intriguing. If gemstones are your thing, catch their sparkle at the Museo de Mineralogia. The Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativa celebrates centuries of Spanish décor and home arts.
Do you go buggy about bugs and other living things? Then the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Natural Science) is the place for you. And if you are fascinated by money, visit the Museo Casa de la Moneda (House of Money). You do not have to be a coin collector to enjoy seeing the evolution of coins and paper money throughout the ages.
Finally, enjoy a true work of art – a tasty Iberica ham sandwich – at one of the El Museo de Jamon stores (Museum of Ham) after seeing the wonders of the Madrid museums.
More information about the three Madrid museums that make up the "Golden Triangle" can be found at their official websites:
The Prado Museum
http://museoprado.mcu.es
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
www.museothyssen.org
The Reina Sofia National Museum of Contemporary Art
www.museoreinasofia.es
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