This museum is well known to every true connoisseur of art. The Prado Museum in Madrid is among the most visited in the world. There are collected the best canvases of the Renaissance and the New Time.
Where is the Prado Museum?
In Madrid, as in many ancient cities, there is an old city. It is there that the main historical sights are located. In the place where the Prado Museum is located, everything that can only bring delight is collected: works of art, various archaeological exhibits, ancient costumes and coins. The National Museum of the Prado, together with the Thyssen-Boreamis Museums and the Queen Sophia Arts Center, formed the Art Gallery. Location, Boulevard Paseo del Prado, and gave its name to the museum.
History of the Prado Museum
The basis of the collection of the Prado Museum in Madrid was created when King Charles V. ruled in Spain. The King genuinely admired the works of Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese. It was with him that the creation of a unique collection began. In the future, the case continued the dynasty of the Bourbons and the Habsburgs.
The construction of the Prado Museum in Madrid began under King Charles III of Spain for state needs. However, the structure began to function only under the reign of Charles VII, who turned the building into a museum of painting and sculpture. In November 1819, a grand opening of the museum took place, which was originally conceived as a demonstration of the wealth of the collection of the royal house of Spain. At the time of opening, there were 311 paintings. It was then that the museum got its name.
During its existence, the museum has undergone many changes. In 1826-1827, the museum was given paintings, which were previously stored in the academy of San Fernando. In the period of 1836 after the closing of the church educational institutions all artistic values were transferred to the National Museum, and then moved to the Prado Museum.
During the Civil War, all the paintings from the Prado Museum in Madrid were sent to Switzerland. Fortunately, in 1936 the museum again resumed its existence, but not all exhibits returned to their seats. Some of the paintings are still in Geneva.
Museo del Prado in Madrid: paintings
Most fully in the museum are the creations of Velasquez and Goya. In general, the collection of paintings is about 4,800 paintings. So the collection is considered to be the largest in the whole world. In the museum there are paintings by El Greco, Zurbaran, Alonso Kana, Ribera and many others. The museum was opened during the lifetime of Goya, but the paintings appeared in it only after the death of the master.
The Italian school is also represented by more than a thousand paintings. In the past, all of them were in the royal assembly, replenished for several centuries. Most of the paintings belong to the period of the XVII-XVIII centuries. Only from the works of Titian there are 40 paintings. Also in this collection are the works of Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Mantegna. The works of Rafael, Veronoz are located in the halls of the museum.
Painting of Flemish artists represents a collection of works by Bosch, Jan van Eyck, Jacob Jordaens, Rubens. It is the collection of Rubens paintings that rightfully read the pearl of the collections of the Flemish school. All his creations in the museum are 90 paintings.
Among other schools the museum allows to see exhibitions of artists of Great Britain, France, Germany and Holland. Of course, such diversity and scale, as in previous schools, you will not see, but the expositions are no less interesting. Among the masterpieces of the Prado Museum is the work of Fra Angelico - The Annunciation, Hieronymus Bosch - Garden of Earthly Delights, El Greco - Noble with a hand on his chest, Raphael - Cardinal and Rubens - Three Graces.