The Prado Museum in Madrid is one of the greatest art museums in Europe and even the world. Centering on the massive art collections gathered by Spanish royalty over the centuries, the Prado displays important Spanish and Flemish paintings, Classical statues purchased from Italy, medieval religious treasures confiscated from monasteries, and even some Romanesque frescoes taken from a Madrid church."If Madrid had nothing else than the Prado it would be worth spending a month in every spring."
--Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon (1932)
History
The Museo del Prado began life as a natural history museum, founded by King-Mayor Carlos III in 1785. Along with the adjacent botanical gardens, Carlos III envisioned the Prado would become a major center of scientific enlightenment.
The building was completed and opened to the public in 1819, by which time King Ferdinand VII was on the throne and the museum's theme had changed to art. Named the Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures, the museum was intended to demonstrate to all Europeans that Spanish art was the equal of any other nation in artistic merit.
Upon the deposition of Isabella II in 1868, the museum was nationalized and acquired its present name - Museo Nacional del Prado - inspired by the meadow (prado) in which it was built.
In 2002-07, a new building was designed by Rafael Moneo around the reconstructed remains of the cloister of the San Jerónimo el Real. The new space doubles the number of paintings from the permanent collection that can be displayed at one time.
What to See
The collection of the Prado Museum is strongest in Spanish and Flemish painting, but contains a variety of paintings from elsewhere in Europe as well as some sculpture and decorative art. Many of the paintings' subjects are religious, which range in tone from incredibly moving to completely creepy.The galleries are divided into the following sections, which are color-coded on the free map visitors receive with admission:
- Spanish Painting 1100-1850 (notably Velazquez, Goya and El Greco)
- Flemish Painting 1430-1700 (large collection of Bosch paintings as well as Rubens and Van der Weyden)
- Italian Painting 1300-1800 (includes Titian, Tintoretto, Fra Angelico and Caravaggio)
- German Painting 1450-1800 (self-portrait and other paintings by Dürer)
- French Painting 1600-1800 (artist highlights include Claude and Poussin)
- Dutch Painting 1600-1695 (notably Rembrandt)
- British Painting 1750-1830 (Gainsborough, Reynolds and others)
- Sculpture (including Classical sculpture purchased by Spanish collectors in Italy)
- Decorative Arts (including many medieval religious treasures)
- Las Meninas (Maids of Honor) by Diego Velázquez
- La maja desnuda (The Nude Maja) by Francisco de Goya
- Self-portrait by Albrecht Dürer
- The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch
- The Three Graces by Peter Paul Rubens
Quick Facts
| Site Information | |
| Names: | Prado Museum; Museo del Prado; Museo Nacional del Prado |
| Location: | Madrid, Madrid, Spain |
| Category: | Museums |
| Date: | 1785-1819; 2002-07 |
| Patron(s): | King-Mayor Carlos III |
| Architect: | Juan de Villanueva |
| Status: | museum |
| Visitor Information | |
| Address: | Paseo del Prado, 28014, Madrid, Spain |
| Coordinates: | 40.413723° N, 3.692291° W (view on Google Maps) |
| Lodging: | View hotels near this location |
| Phone: | 34 91 330 2800 |
| Website: | www.museodelprado.es |
| Opening hours: | Tue-Sun 9am-8pm Jan 6, Dec 24, Dec 31: 9am-2pm Closed: Mondays, Jan 1, Good Friday, May 1, Dec 25 Café and shop: 9am-7:30pm |
| Cost: | €8 adults; €4 reduced; free on Sundays |
| Facilities: | Cafe and restaurant; shop; cloakroom; toilets; audio guides (€3.50) |
| Accessibility: | Elevators, ramps, platforms and bathrooms are adapted for visitors with mobility impairments. Canes and wheelchairs are available for free use in the cloakroom. |
Note: This information was accurate when published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.
