The Prado museum of Madrid , really no further instroduction needed but I will expand, This time was an educational trip with my boys so I took more time to see and explain the wonders of it. When lived in the City was poor and not able to see it, eventually, I saw it in 2004 and been back several times including this July 2023. Therefore, let me tell you again of the Prado museum of Madrid , part II !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The Prado museum of Madrid was big then and it is bigger today. The Cason del Buen Retiro as it was then part of the Retiro park,(see posts) now part of the Prado museum, and even then was just a way to hang around the area with friends. Spread across four floors, the Prado Museum is home to over 20,000 works of art that include around 7,500 paintings, 8,000 drawings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures and other works of art and historical documents, collected on four floors.
The Prado Museum has the works of some of the best artists of their time like Francisco Goya, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Fra Angelico, Diego Velázquez, Raphael, and Titian, and is one of the most visited attractions in the city
The three levels of the Prado Museum: Level 0 of the Jeronimos building and Villanueva building / Temporary exhibitions. Level 1 Spanish / German / Italian paintings / drawings. Level 2 : sculptures / 18C and 19C Spanish paintings, The black paintings of Francisco de Goya are located on level 0 room 67, you will find a large number of works from his period known as the “black paintings”. The meninas of Velázquez are located on the 1st floor in room 12.
The basic composition as buildings goes are the Edificio Villanueva , a building designed by Juan de Villanueva, in its original conception, is formed by a central body finished in apse, which flank two elongated galleries that end in square pavilions, one at each end. Representing an allegory of King Fernando VII as protector of the sciences, the arts and the technique. In its posterior facade, the central section ends in a semicircular form or in an apse, in such a way that its plane adopts a basilical form.
The Edificio Jerónimos . This enlargement did not make substantial changes to the Villanueva building, and it was reflected in an extension to the Jerónimos cloister so that the museum would have enough space for its growing needs. The increase of the available surface was 15 715 square meters, a 50% more . The connection between both buildings is underground (on the side of the Jerónimos building), because it takes advantage and covers the height between the Jerónimos (Calle Ruiz de Alarcón) and the Paseo del Prado , The Cason del Buen Retiro is one of the dependencies of the old palace of the Retiro park that have come to our days(my hangouts around as youth nice area ok). Salon de Reinos, (Kingdom’s hall) ,correspond to the main wing (north) of the old Palace of Retiro Park, it receives its name for having originally housed the hall of Kingdoms or of ambassadors, where the king received the foreign dignitaries Edificio Aldeasa( building) located next to the Jerónimos cloister, it is a building of contemporary style in which were the offices of the company Aldeasa, until it was acquired in 1996 by the direction of the patrimony of the State, which was attach to the Prado for to install in it the offices of the museum, until then located in the South attic of the Edificio Villanueva. On the other hand, in the premises of the adjoining building, at no 21 Calle Ruiz de Alarcón, is home to the foundation Friends of the Museum.(Fundacion Amigos del Museo del Prado).
The Prado museum is layout pretty much along the lines of the paintings Collection by artists, A timeline of history on paintings engravings, sculptures and tapestries, then Spanish painting up to 1800, Italian and French paintings up to 1800, Flemish paintings and the Northern school, 19C paintings, Prints, drawings and photographs,Sculptures and decorated arts, and the Prado extendido or works on loan from about 270 institutions, We,also, saw the temporary exhibitions on Picasso, El Greco and Analytical Cubism , Emilio Sánchez Perrier (1855-1907). Drawings, and Herrera the Younger. The Absolute Baroque
The official Prado museum: https://www.museodelprado.es/en
The Madrid tourist office on the Prado museum: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/museo-del-prado
You have a wonderful institution here that is the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado (The Friends of the Museum Foundation): https://www.amigosmuseoprado.org/
And it has an American Friends counterpart: https://www.afpradomuseum.org/
There you go folks, another jewel in the crown of my dear Madrid, This is a must to visit and understand more the history of my dear Spain. The Prado Museum is a wonderful history of the world that is a must to visit, Again, hope you have enjoy the post on the Prado museum of Madrid , part II !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 