Explore: Museo Nacional del Prado
Madrid.
A city that boasts astounding architecture, culture, food, nightlife, and people.
If you are into art and you want to wash the dust of daily life off your soul, as Picasso put it, you should certainly visit Museo Nacional del Prado, the main Spanish national art museum.
Here are five select works to give you a flavor of what to expect:
The Garden of Earthly Delights (Hieronymus Bosch)
The amount of complexity and detail is breathtaking.
Bosch painted this masterpiece between 1490 and 1510 (LSD was synthesized in 1938), with little known about the painter’s interpretations. Little is known about Bosch too, leaving a wide margin for us to enjoy his work in our way. A must-see in person.
The Human Beast (Antonio Fillol Granell)
Shifting to naturalism, Fillol’s masterpiece illustrates a young woman being initiated into prostitution. Dressed in mourning because she has recently been orphaned, she is being persuaded by a procuress to offer her services to the waiting man, who smokes impassively. No metaphors here — a powerful denouncement of human exploitation.
The Mancorbo Pass in Picos de Europa (Carlos de Haes)
What I particularly enjoy and admire here is the effectiveness with which Carlos De Haes captures the grandiosity and depth of the landscape. Another masterpiece that can be best observed is Museo Del Prado. Their website also contains a very thorough description of this painting, if of interest.
Execution of Torrijos and his Companions on the Beach at Málaga (Antonio Gisbert)
José María Torrijos was a Spanish soldier and politician known for his active opposition against the absolutism Ferdinand VII of Spain was seeking to impose. Under Ferdinand’s rule, Spain lost most of its American territories and a civil war broke out upon his death.
Promised to be aided in his rebellion by the Governor of Malaga, Torrijos was betrayed and ambushed by the Governor. Moreno was promoted to the post of General Lieutenant for his treason.
The work is considered to be Gisbert’s finest piece for a reason and a timeless way to capture the importance of defending human freedom.
The Slave Girl (Antonio Maria Fabrés i Costa)
Concluding with one of the most interesting and arguably among the more controversial works, “The Slave Girl” depicts a girl condemned for stealing jewelry. The sign over her head means “a thief’s death” in Arabic. A thought-provoking combination of shame, nudity, and sexuality.
