Museums

Museums are always a good choice no matter where you visit in any country. Various museums within different major metropolitan areas in Spain are discussed below.

One excellent example of a high-end museum is the Museo del Prado located at Paseo del Prado s/n, Retiro, Madrid. The phone is 91/330-2800. The museum began from an historical perspective as the idea of King-Mayor Carlos III in the latter portion of the 18th century. The original intent of the king was to create a natural history museum. However the purpose of the museum changed by 1819 and the museum became an art gallery housing the collections of Spain's royalty (from the time period of Ferdinand).

During the last decade a new building and wing have been constructed which allows for fifty percent more works. Three of the great masters whose works are highlighted within the museum include Goya, Velazquez and El Greco. There are a great many paintings as well from other countries and a nice collection from notable Flemish painters such as Rubens, and van Dyck. The work of Hieronymous Bosch titled: "Garden of Earthly Delights" is found on the first floor of the museum. Patrons enjoy the surreal effects which are part of Bosch's art.

Another great museum idea is Museo Picasso (Old City) found in Barcelona, Spain. The precise location is Carrer Montcada 15-23, Born-Ribera, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08003. The phone is 93/319-6310. The Picasso Museum is housed within five Renaissance and medieval palatial structures. There are three thousand six hundred works which are part of the museum's permanent collection.

The emphasis within the collection is placed on the artist's early works. In fact the more famous master pieces are not too numerous. That said the artist's early works are highly insightful: you discover the potential of the gifted Picasso which is part of these early works.

Historically, a private Picasso collection was contributed by the artist's secretary: Jaume Sabartes during the period of the 1960s. The artist himself added one thousand seven hundred works of art to the museum's collection in 1970. There are renderings provided from the artist's Rose and Blue Periods as well as forty-four interesting Cubist works.

You may expect with regard to Spain's museums an enormous selection of art galleries with wonderful representations from many of the world's great masters.