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Prado

The renowned Prado Museum (Museo del Prado) is the biggest art museum in the world. It was commissioned by Charles III in the late 18th century. He had it built to provide Madrid with a high-calibre monument, like those that existed in other European cities at the time. Upon returning from his coronation he found that the city had not marked very great progress. Charles' predecessor Philip II had converted the city into a capital, yet there was little to show for it. It had grown in an unruly manner, spreading over random territory. This did not appeal to the new king and he took urgent measures.

Charles III ordered a variety of improvements, focusing mainly on the Prado de los Jeronimos, a temple behind the museum. Prado means "meadow" in Spanish, and eventually the museum was named after this location. As you may have guessed, beautiful green areas surround the museum. Trees and plants, majestic, neoclassical water fountains of Apollo and Poseidon, and flowers are just some aspects of the delightful scenery. As the constructions were influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, many monumental buildings, dedicated to learning and science are currently to be found in the vicinity of the museum.

The main architect employed by the king was the famous Villanueva. He designed the museum, which was originally intended to serve the purpose of natural history, as well as the Botanical Gardens. The lofty domes and luminous interior of this great museum are part of the initial plans of Villanueva. Other interesting aspects are the Rotunda and the Central Gallery on the first floor. The Spanish War put a temporary freeze on construction activity. The building was used as a military stronghold and refuge for Spanish troops. Many materials were stolen and destroyed.

Charles III was succeeded by Ferdinand VII, who decided to establish the structure as an art gallery. Construction recommenced, and the project was finally implemented with success. It was named the Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture. In the 19th century it housed a little over 1500 paintings. Not all areas of the building were available to display works, as a result of which only 300 paintings were exhibited.

A lot of productive work was done on the exterior. The museum is an architectural gem to behold from every possible angle in consequence of this. Sculptures, lofty columns and wide, neoclassic-style windows grace the facade. After the fall of Isabel II, who had inherited the museum, it was nationalized and renamed Museo del Prado. Prior to this it had displayed only paintings from the royal collection, but now it began to incorporate modern art as well. The museum acquired another 3000 works from the Trinity Museum in the late 19th century. As it clearly did not have the capacity to house them, the government decided to loan parts of the art collection to museums in the countryside. Around 1000 works were put on display in other locations.

The museum area was extended in 1918, after proving too small to display the enormous number of delightful art works. It was enlarged again in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1971 the nearby Casa del Buen Retiro was added to the museum, and the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum was also attached to its structure in 1989. The museum closed down during the Civil War in the 1930s. Thankfully it did not suffer very great losses at that time. The most famous paintings were moved to Geneva. An art display of Prado paintings was held there, but the works had to be moved back to Spain when World War II erupted. The museum experienced a resurge after the War, with millions of tourists from all over the world flocking to see its marvellous collections.

Today Prado exhibits 2000 paintings, but another 8600 are in storage due to insufficient room. The ones featured are by masters such as Raphael, El Greco, Goya, Rubens, and many others. Some of Raphael's most renowned masterpieces can be seen here. Among them is The Maids of Honour, completed circa 1656. It is considered one of the most excellent paintings in the world, and one reason for this is the everyday scene of royal life it portrays, which entails a second dimension that isn't quite so obvious. The painting exudes an air of secrecy. One aspect of this involves the man in the doorway. It is impossible to tell if he is leaving or going into the room. A variety of El Greco works is shown here, such as The Knight, the thematic Christ with the Cross, and the Holy Family representing Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as well as Saint Ann and John the Baptist.

Goya's Naked Maja and Clothed Maja are displayed at the Prado. The first painting established a new standard, later adopted by many French artists. It is believed that Goya had several models for different parts of the body. His Milkmaid of Bordeaux is housed here as well. It remains in history as the first example of impressionist art. Finally, Rubens' Three Graces, portraying nudes in the wood in vibrant colours and luminous tones, is a fine example of the classical artistic style. Rubens' wife was one of the models.