Remember the name Velázquez. Now you are standing before the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It is not just another art museum. It is Spain’s main national art museum. The Museo del Prado houses collections of European art. These collections date from the 12th to the early 20th century. The Museo del Prado’s collection is based on the former Spanish royal collection. It is the single best collection of Spanish art.
Founded in 1819 the Museo del Prado was first a museum of paintings and sculpture. It now holds important collections of other works too. Francisco Goya is the single most extensively represented artist here. You will also find works by Hieronymus Bosch El Greco Peter Paul Rubens Titian and Diego Velázquez.
Velázquez had a keen eye. He brought much of the museum’s fine collection of Italian masters to Spain. Today it is one of the largest such collections outside of Italy. The Museo del Prado’s collection has about 8200 drawings. It also has 7600 paintings 4800 prints and 1000 sculptures. There are many other works of art and historic documents. In 2012 the museum displayed about 1300 works in the main buildings. Around 3100 works were on temporary loan to other museums. The rest were in storage.
In 2020 attendance plunged due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still the Prado was ranked as the 16th most-visited museum in the world. It remains one of the largest museums in Spain. The Museo del Prado is part of Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art. This area along the Paseo del Prado is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2021.
The Museo del Prado building was designed in 1785 by Juan de Villanueva. He was an architect of the Enlightenment in Spain. Charles III ordered it to house the Natural History Cabinet. But Ferdinand VII decided to use it as a Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures. His wife Queen María Isabel de Braganza encouraged him. The royal museum opened to the public in November 1819. It soon became known as the Museo Nacional del Prado.
The aim was twofold. First it would display the Spanish Crown’s art. Second it would show Europe that Spanish art was equal to any other. The museum needed renovations in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was because the collection grew. More people wanted to see it.
The first museum catalogue appeared in 1819. It focused on Spanish painting. It listed 311 paintings. But the museum held 1510 works from royal residences including works from other schools. The royal collection grew significantly in the 16th century. Charles V and later Habsburg and Bourbon monarchs added to it. Their efforts brought masterpieces to the Prado.
These masterpieces include The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden. There is also The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. You can see The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest by El Greco here. Other works include Death of the Virgin by Mantegna The Holy Family by Raphael and Equestrian Portrait of Charles V by Titian. Also displayed are Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet by Tintoretto Dürer’s Self-portrait at 26 Las Meninas by Velázquez The Three Graces by Rubens and The Family of Charles IV by Goya.
The Museo del Prado increased its holdings beyond the royal collection. It added masterpieces like the two Majas by Goya. Collections from closed museums also came here. These include the Museo de la Trinidad in 1872 and the Museo de Arte Moderno in 1971. Legacies donations and purchases also helped the collection grow.
After Isabella II was deposed in 1868 the museum was nationalized. It was renamed Museo del Prado. The building housed the royal art collection. Soon it was too small. The first enlargement took place in 1918. Since its creation the Museo del Prado has added over 2300 paintings. It has also added sculptures prints drawings and other art through bequests donations and purchases.
Between 1873 and 1900 the Prado helped decorate city halls universities and churches. During the Second Spanish Republic the focus shifted to developing provincial museums. During the Spanish Civil War the museum staff removed 353 paintings and 168 drawings. They also removed the Dauphin’s Treasure. They sent the art to Valencia then to Girona and finally to Geneva. After World War II began the art had to be returned across French territory by night trains.
British architect Norman Foster will conduct the next renovations. These were approved in June 2020. They are expected to take at least four years. Today the Museo del Prado stands as a testament to Spain’s artistic legacy. It is a treasure trove of European art. Its halls echo with the stories of monarchs artists and masterpieces. Take your time to explore its depths. Discover the beauty and history within.