Prado museum: Home to finest European art exhibition

Also known as Museo del Prado, the Prado museum of Madrid exhibits one of the superb European art collections of the globe, which range from 12th to 19th century. Originally opened as a gallery of sculpture and paintings, it today houses over 8200 drawings, 2,000 decorative art pieces, 4800 prints, 1000 sculptures, and 1,000 coins as well as medals including historic documents. The painting exhibit holds some 7,800 paintings, but only 25% of it is on display due to shortage of space. Recently, a new wing was added to hold additional 400 paintings as a part of temporary expositions. In total, however, the Prado museum is showing some 1000 works as over 3,100 works are temporarily lent to other museums and rest occupy the storage space. Still, there is no doubt that the Prado museum is among the most thronged sites as well as the greatest art museum on the planet.

Talking about the paintings, you will come across the Spanish, Italian, German, French, British, and Dutch ones. Among these, the Spanish paintings here, the largest on the globe, include the Romanesque, gothic, baroque, El Greco, early renaissance, Goya, 18th century, and 19th century paintings. Look for the works of Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, and Murillo; frescoes from Santa Cruz de Maderuelo; Saint John the Baptist Altarpiece; Mary Magdalen Altarpiece; Altarpiece of the Life of the Virgin and Saint Francis; Saint Domingo of Silo; The Pietà with Donors and Christ blessing; Crucifixion; Saint Dominic Presiding over an Auto-da-fe; Virgin of the Knight of Montesa; The Last Supper; Saint Catherine; Adoration of the Magi; Jacob and Esau; Holy Family with the Bird and The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables; The Countess of Chinchón; The Family of Charles IV; The Ascent of a Montgolfier Balloon in Aranjuez; The Countess of Vilches; and The Testament of Isabel the Catholic.

On the other hand, the Italian paintings range from 15th to 18th centuries. The main highlights are The Death of the Virgin, The Holy Family with the Lamb, The Virgin of the Fish, The Worship of Venus; The Capture of a Fortress; David defeating Goliath; Christ washing the Disciples’ Feet; seven Old Testament scenes; Charles II on Horseback; The Embarkation of Charles III in Naples; and Birth of the Sun and the Triumph of Bacchus.

The Flemish ones date back to the time period of 15th to 17th centuries – Adoration of the Magi, Holy Family with Saint Anne, The Duke of Lerma, The Judgement of Paris, Adam, Eve, and The Garden of Love. Among the German paintings, look for Adam and Eve, Portrait of an Unknown Man, Ages of Man, and Hunt in Honour of Charles V at the Castle of Torgau. If you love Dutch paintings, then surely do not miss to spot for the Artemisia, Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Portrait of Petronella de Waert, and Judith and Holofernes.

Coming to the sculptures, you will encounter those of Greek and Romans along with the 16th to 18th century works. Check out for Athena Parthenos, a copy of Myron’s Athena, four Maenad reliefs, the Head of the Cnidian Venus, Scopas’s Hercules, Head of Hercules, Head of Diadocus, Crouching Venus, Venus of Madrid, Venus with the Dolphin, Venus with a Cockle Shell, Apotheosis of Claudius, Augustus in a Toga, Bacchic Altar, Sarcophagus with the Story of Achilles and Polyxena, Epimetheus and Pandora, Allegory of Francisco I de’Medici, Hermaphrodite, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Greek horse head, and Bust of Vibia Sabina.

Drawings come mostly from the Spanish schools followed by Italian, French, Flemish, and German ones. The main attractions here are high altar of San Juan de los Reyes, Goya works, Study of a right Shoulder and Chest, and Study of a Man’s right Arm.

In the Prado museum, the prints are of the famous Goya, Mariano Fortuny, and many more. So, explore the most notable prints such as Paintings of Velázquez, The Disasters of War, The Caprichos, The Disparates, The Iliad, The Divine Comedy, The Odyssey, Hercules at the Crossroads, The Four Angels holding back the Winds, The Penance of Saint John Chrysostom, and Saint Michael defeating the Dragon.