Of course, the painting of Spain is most widely represented in the Prado: from the 12th century to the first third of the 19th century. The ground floor was occupied by paintings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. We will see here medieval frescoes, Gothic, and Renaissance masterpieces.
The first floor “belongs” to the works of painters of the “Golden Age”. Here you will see works by El Greco, Velazquez, Zurbaran, Ribera, Murillo. In the photo below, see one of the most valuable paintings Prado Museum - “Las Meninas” by Diego Velazquez, click on the photo to enlarge.
The museum exhibits are the creations of masters different schools from all over the world. The German school of painting is represented by works of the 16th-18th centuries, represented by A. Durer, Lucas Cranach, Anton Raphael Mengs. An interesting collection of portraits by English artists of the 18th and 19th centuries, these are works by Reynolds, Gainsborough, and Lawrence.
French painting is presented quite vividly and extensively. Spanish kings acquired creations French painters, these paintings have now become the property of the country. On the ground floor works by Lorrain and Poussin are exhibited.
The art of sculpture is represented by works from the archaic and Roman eras to the creations of the Italians of the 16th-19th centuries.
Decorative arts also have a place in the Prado: here we will see tables, consoles, ceramics and, of course, the “highlight” of the museum – “The Dauphin’s Treasure”. The collection consists of the jewels and expensive objects of Philip V, which he inherited from Ludwig the Great Dauphin. All these riches found their place in the halls of the ground floor.
Goya's masterpieces are located on three floors - 1st, 2nd and ground floor. About 500 works by Goya are displayed in the Prado halls, including all the most famous ones - “The Third of May 1808 in Madrid”, “Maja Nude”, “Saturn Devouring His Son” and others.
The most visitors to the museum are observed from 10 to 14 hours, as well as in the last two hours of its work. It is better to choose the time immediately after lunch.
Keep your ticket to the museum until you leave.
Speak quietly, do not disturb other visitors to get acquainted with the museum's collections. Speak mobile phone prohibited.
Filming and photography is prohibited, but some visitors manage to use small cameras and phones unnoticed by building employees.
You cannot enter with bags, backpacks, or umbrellas: all items are checked into the cloakroom.
You can enter the Prado halls with a guide dog, but have the appropriate documents.
The museum has elevators, platforms, ramps, and toilets on all floors.
There are mother and child rooms.
If you are hungry, then leave the museum and go straight through the Prado Alley to the neighboring streets. There are dozens of restaurants and eateries to suit every taste and budget. Local chefs create real masterpieces.
It is difficult to visit all the halls of the Prado in one day. We recommend choosing several exhibitions and halls for inspection. There will be a reason to return to the museum again.
If you are in a hurry and want to see as many sights of Madrid as possible in one day, then you can walk from the Prado Museum in 30 minutes.
Have a good time exploring Madrid, and read our interesting articles about Spain ( links below).
Madrid is famous for its many attractions, among which the Prado Museum takes pride of place. Thanks to the rich collection best works Western European visual arts this place occupies a worthy place along with the Louvre and the Hermitage. The Prado Museum not only introduces visitors to the collection works of art, owned by the Spanish monarchs, but also demonstrates the Spanish art school as a separate art direction.
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The history of the famous Madrid museum to some extent reflects the history of the formation of the Spanish state. Despite the fact that the official opening of the Prado took place in 1819, the history of the formation of its collection began during the liberation struggle of Spain against the Arab conquerors. The result of a long, centuries-long struggle was the emergence on the territory of modern Spain of several separate kingdoms, which later united and became the origins of the formation of the state of Spain.
In such difficult conditions, not every nobleman managed to take an interest in art. For centuries, only monarchs and catholic church. It is not surprising that religious themes were clearly visible in the collections of works of art of this period. In addition, the change of monarch on the Spanish throne was traditionally accompanied by the sale of funds collected during the reign. artistic paintings. Therefore, the collection of Prado paintings does not contain works of art that made up the collections of the Castilian kings.
Interesting articles:
After liberation from Arab rule, the Spanish monarchy began to expand its spheres of influence, not only subjugating new territories. New opportunities have opened up for the development of science, culture and art. The Spanish king Carlos I for the first time abandoned traditional sales, and his collection of paintings went to his heir Philip II. Just like Carlos I, Philip II turned out to be worthy successor and a subtle connoisseur of painting.
During the years of his reign, he significantly enriched the art collections of his predecessor not only with paintings on religious themes, but also with genre paintings and portraits. During the time of Philip II, the collection of paintings collected by the Spanish monarchs was exhibited to the court public in the royal palace of El Prado.
Many centuries later, the name of this country residence of the king migrated to the name of the now existing Madrid Museum. However, in the palace of Philip II Escorial, the common public was content with viewing paintings exclusively of religious themes.
Unlike his predecessor Philip II, Philip III was far from art. The years of his reign had a detrimental effect on the state royal collection, which not only was not replenished, but part of it was simply given away. However, thanks to Philip IV, a true connoisseur of art, it was possible to increase the collection with the best works of many famous European artists, and during the period of the Bourbons’ stay on the Spanish throne, the collection of Spanish monarchs was replenished with works by French artists.
Collection of the Prado Museum
Positioning the Spanish art school as a separate direction, the Prado Museum gives its visitors the opportunity to become more familiar with Spanish painting, represented by unique paintings by famous spanish artists. In particular, it is difficult to confuse El Greco’s unique original style of execution with the paintings of other painters, distinguished by the use of rich colors, unique coloring and extraordinary temperament. Therefore, many museum visitors linger for a long time at his “Trinity” and “Crucifixion with Our Lady, John and Mary Magdalene.”
Portraits by Diego Velazquez are distinguished by their realism and unique play of color. The famous Spanish portrait painter skillfully conveyed with the help of paints not just the image of a person, but also his personal traits. In the Portrait of Philip IV in Hunting Dress, Velazquez depicted the grandeur and arrogance inherent in royalty, and in “The Triumph of Bacchus or the Drunkard” the artist exposes human vices.
The works of Francisco José de Goya reflect the changes that occurred in the artist’s work under the influence of events associated with French Revolution. Visitors are delighted by the contrasts inherent in the artist’s work: on the one hand, the tranquil painting of “The Family of Charles IV,” and on the other, sharp strokes emphasizing the tragedy of the “Uprising of May 2, 1808 in Madrid.”
In addition to works of fine art belonging to the brush of Spanish artists, the museum presents best works other European painters.
The current collection of the Prado includes about 7,600 paintings by famous European artists, among which a significant place belongs to the masters of the Renaissance. The museum's collection is also decorated with unique jewelry made by ancient masters and more than 1,000 masterfully executed sculptural sculptures.
How to get to the Prado Museum
The museum is located at: metro Banco de España, Atocha, Paseo del Prado s/n. 28014
You can visit any day, it is open seven days a week. Its doors are open from 10 am to 8 pm. Opening hours on weekends: 10.00-19.00.
The Prado Museum of Fine Art is considered one of the largest and most significant not only in Spain, but throughout Europe. About 2 million tourists visit the Prado every year. Its collection contains the world's largest number of works of Spanish painting and sculpture, collected over several centuries.
The museum was officially opened on November 19, 1819, and although the founder is Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII, the history of the collection dates back much earlier. The first monarch who wished to preserve artistic values and pass them on as inheritance was Charles V (1500–1558). At that time, the collection was available only to the nobility, and only a small part on religious topics was available to the general public. Later, in 1785, space was allocated for a public museum in a large Prado Park, after which the museum was named.
Today the collection numbers more than 8,000 paintings, but due to space constraints, only about 2,000 works are on display. In addition to paintings, the collection includes more than 400 sculptures and numerous jewelry.
Initially, the museum was conceived as an exhibition of works by Spanish artists, but gradually the exhibition expanded. Now the Prado has a collection of Italian, Flemish, German, Dutch, and French masters. The Spanish school in the Prado is represented by the most complete collections of Bosch, Velazquez, Goya, Murillo, Zurbaran and El Greco. For example, Goya’s collection alone has about 30 paintings located in chronological order and covering all periods of his work. You can also see the development of Spanish painting starting from the 12th century: medieval frescoes, Gothic, Renaissance and realistic paintings XIX century.
Among German artists should be canceled see the works of Albrecht Durer and Lucas Cranach. The Italian school is represented by such famous masters as Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, Titian and many others. And one of the main masterpieces of the Flemish school is Bosch’s painting “The Hay Wain”.
In addition, the Museum periodically hosts exhibitions from various collections from around the world. Paintings from the Prado are also exhibited in other countries.
The Prado Museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 to 20 hours, incl. holidays. The ticket price is 8 euros, but there is a system of discounts, as well as hours and days of free entry. It is possible to purchase a group membership or book a tour. Also available to visitors is the Prado cafe and a souvenir and book store. Tickets can be purchased directly at the museum box office or pre-ordered online on the official website.
- Official website of the museum: www.museodelprado.es
- Including information in Russian: www.museodelprado.es/ru
- Address of the Prado Museum: Calle Ruiz de Alarcón, 23, Madrid.
- Directions: metro Banco de España, Atocha, buses No. 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37, 45.
If you are going to Spain, be sure to spend a few days in its capital - you won’t regret it. Contact the Center for Services for Business and Life in Spain “Spain in Russian”, and we will help you organize interesting individual or group excursions with the best guides in the country.
The Prado Museum in Madrid is one of the most famous and visited institutions of fine art not only in Spain, but throughout the world.
The total area of the museum is about 58,000 square meters. He is among the most popular museums peace. Every year 2-3 million people visit the museum.
Ticket prices for the Prado Museum in 2019
Ticket prices include viewing of the museum's main collection as well as temporary exhibitions. It is worth considering that the price of the entrance ticket may change throughout the year; this, again, is due to the specifics of the organized temporary exhibitions.
Ticket prices on the official website of the museum:
- full ticket - 15 euros;
- discount ticket (for pensioners over 65 years old, for members of large families) - 7.5 euros;
- on the website you can purchase a ticket for two visits to the Prado Museum at a reduced price - 22 euros;
- If you prefer to enjoy art when there are not many people around, you can visit the museum before its official opening (from 9:00 to 10:00). Then the entrance ticket will already cost 50 euros;
- You can also take advantage of the unique opportunity and for 29.6 euros buy a single ticket to three museums at once - the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the Reina Sofia Museum;
- free admission - for children under 18 years old, for students under 25 years old, for people with disabilities.
While visiting the museum, you can rent an audio system (you will be given special headphones, which will be used for the tour). An audio system designed for a permanent exhibition will cost 4 euros, for temporary exhibitions - 3.5 euros. You can rent an audio system for temporary and permanent exhibitions for 6 euros. The tour is available in Spanish, German, Korean, Chinese, English, Italian, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian.
Opening hours of the Prado Museum in Madrid
On other days the operating hours are as follows:
- from Monday to Saturday - from 10:00 to 20:00;
- on Sunday - from 10:00 to 19:00.
On pre-holiday days (January 6, December 24 and 31), the museum operates on a reduced schedule - from 10:00 to 14:00. The largest flow of visitors is observed from 11:00 to 14:00. At this time, the museum is usually visited by excursion groups.
Paintings in the Prado Museum in Madrid
It is worth noting that initially the collection of paintings was collected by kings and members of the court nobility. At first, the museum’s collection consisted of 311 paintings, now there are more than 8,000. The Prado Museum is rightfully considered a treasury of Spanish, Flemish and Italian painting.
The first exhibits of the museum are works by Titian, Veronese, Velazquez and other masters. It is in the Prado Museum that the most full meetings paintings by Goya, Bosch, El Greco, Murillo, Zurbaran.
Spanish art
The Prado Museum houses a rich collection of medieval frescoes, Renaissance works and 19th-century paintings. For example, you can see Goya’s paintings on three floors of the museum; masterpieces such as “Portrait of the Family of Charles IV”, “Makhna Nude”, “Makhna Dressed”, “Saturn Devouring His Son”, “Colossus”, “Thrush” are presented here from Bordeaux" and others.
On the 1st floor, visitors can enjoy the beauty of El Greco’s paintings: “Christ Carrying the Cross”, “Adoration of the Shepherds”, “Crucifixion”, “Resurrection of Christ”, “View of Toledo” and others.
Also on the ground floor you can see “Las Meninas”, “Portrait of King Philip IV” by Velazquez, “Immaculate Conception”, “Aurora”, “Saint Mary of Egypt” by Ribera, “Children with a Shell”, “The Annunciation”, “The Birth of John the Baptist” by Murillo , “Defense of Cadiz”, “The Feat of Hercules” by Zurbaran and others.
Flemish art
Works are presented on the ground and 1st floor of the Prado Museum Flemish artists(modern Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands). The following paintings are presented there: “The Descent from the Cross” and “Lamentation” by Weiden, “A Wagon of Hay” and “The Garden earthly pleasures"Bosch, "Saint George Slaying the Dragon", "The Three Graces" by Rubens, "Taking into Custody" by Dyck, "The Triumph of Death" by Bruegel and others.
Italian art
As for Italian painters, in the Prado Museum you can see “Bacchanalia”, “Adoration of Venus” by Titian (in total, the museum houses 40 works by this master), “The Queen of Sheba before Solomon”, “The Rape of Helen” by Tintoretto, “The Marriage in Cana of Galilee” , "Venus and Adonis" by Veronese, " Holy family under the oak", "Agostino Beazzano" by Raphael, "Madonna and Child and St. John" by Correggio and others.
In addition to the three areas highlighted above, the museum presents paintings by English, German, and French painters. For example, “Robert Butcher” by Gainsborough, “Bacchanalia” by Poussin, “Self-Portrait” by Durer and others.
Visitors can also see various sculptures, precious jewelry, tables and other exhibits that once belonged to the rulers of Spain.
The museum periodically hosts thematic exhibitions. For example, dedicated to creativity Titian, Bosch, Picasso and other masters. The Prado Museum often takes part in similar exhibitions in other countries. The museum also organizes lectures and seminars, where researchers and art historians talk about the work of famous painters of the past, as well as contemporary art.
The history of the creation of the Prado Museum
In 1775, King Charles III of Spain ordered the architect Juan de Villanueva to develop a design for the building of the Museum of Natural Sciences. In 1811 (during the Spanish-French conflict) the museum building was captured by French troops. They set up stables there and dismantled the metal roof. By 1819, the building's original appearance was restored. In the same year, the museum was opened to public visits. This was done by the wife of King Ferdinand VII - Maria Isabella de Braganza.
Initially, the museum's collection consisted of 311 paintings. In 1843, 1949 works of art could already be seen in the museum. After the overthrow of Queen Isabella II, the museum was nationalized.
By 1889, the building of the Prado Museum was completed, and new halls appeared. It is interesting that in 1936-1939 the museum was headed by Pablo Picasso. By 1978, according to the architect’s design, the building was reconstructed and expanded.
In 2007, according to the design of Rafael Moneo, the exhibition premises were expanded, and a new adjacent building was built. Now they call it that - Moneo Cube.
By the way, the building of the Prado Museum (its main part, built back in early XIX century) made in the neoclassical style. The facade of the building faces the Prado alley. The central entrance is decorated with six columns, in front of the building is a statue of Diego Velazquez. The exhibitions are presented on the ground, 1st and 2nd floors.
How to get there
The official address of the Prado Museum is Ruiz de Alarcón Street, 23 (the street is located to the left of the main entrance, but this is where the museum’s ticket office is located). The main entrance of the museum is from the Prado alley. Below you will find information on how to get to the museum by public transport and by car.
Public transport
The museum can be reached by buses no. 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37 and 45. The “Museo del Prado” stop is located next to the museum building.
You can also get there by metro - red line 2, Banco de Espana station, as well as blue line 1, Atocha station.
Automobile
From the airport you need to take the Av de la Hispanidad, then there will be several forks, don’t turn anywhere - follow the highway straight, then you need to take the Autovia del Este, Avenida Mediterraneo, alley Reina Cristina (Paseo de la R.Cristina). After passing the National Museum of Anthropology, head towards the Atocha metro station, from which it will only be a few meters to the Prado Museum. The distance between the airport and the museum is 17.1 kilometers. The journey will take at least 20 minutes. See the route map on Google Map.
You can also use the services of local taxi services, for example, through mobile app Uber order a car.
Prado Museum in Madrid on video
JasonParis / flickr.com Ajay Goyal / flickr.com Andrea / flickr.com Pablo Sanchez / flickr.com losmininos / flickr.com Christian Van Der Henst S. / flickr.com van Ort / flickr.com Daniel R. Blume / flickr. com Carlos Reusser Monsalvez / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com Carlos Reusser Monsalvez / flickr.com JasonParis / flickr.com Marco Pagni / flickr.com Kris Arnold / flickr.com Kris Arnold / flickr.com
The Prado Museum was opened in 1819 and is located along Paseo del Prado. It is located in an 18th-century building, whose architect was Juan de Villanueva.
The museum building itself is an invaluable heritage of Spanish architecture, designed in the style of late classicism. Any tourist who goes on holiday to Spain knows exactly which city to look for best meeting European painting.
The collection began to take shape under Charles V and Philip II. An increase in the pictorial heritage also occurred under the following rulers of the Bourbon and Habsburg dynasties.
The Prado Museum is the greatest achievement of Ferdinand VI, because it was under his leadership that the magnificent national Spanish museum arose. In terms of value, the Prado Museum is equal to the Louvre or the Hermitage, and although its size is not so large, in terms of its abundance of masterpieces of world painting, this gallery is undoubtedly the best. With the new halls, the gallery area is 53 thousand square meters. meters, on which there are 1300 paintings. And this is only the permanent collection, while the remaining 7 thousand unexhibited paintings are stored in the museum’s reserves. In total, there are 7,600 paintings, 8,000 images, 4,800 engravings and 1,000 creations of sculptors. The museum also houses a Research Center and a restoration department.
The most luxurious collection of the gallery was formed during the reign of Charles V in the 16th century. It was this ruler who was the founder of collecting art and proposed passing it on from generation to generation.
Only religious-themed exhibitions were available to the general Spanish public of those times, while the rest of the paintings were available for contemplation exclusively to royal families. The Prado Museum was opened to the public by Isabella of Braganza, who was the wife of Ferdinand VII. In addition to the collections of monarchs, the gallery was formed from many donations, nationalized private collections and the legacy of collectors.
Collections of painting schools from different countries
Originally Spanish National Museum Prado was created for heritage grouping Spanish painters to a separate school. But in the 20th century it passed from royal dynasties into state hands and became national.
Most of the collection are paintings by Spanish artists, their total number– 4800. The largest number of works was completed by Goya. They ended up in the museum thanks to admirers of his work, when Goya himself had already died. The gallery displays works from 12th-century Romanesque wall paintings to XIX century and the paintings from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and realism eras are collected together.
The Italian school is replete with the works of Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. This is about 1000 paintings. Most of them were made in the 17th-18th centuries and during the Renaissance. However, most of the works are creations related to the New Age. This exhibition was collected by Charles V, Philip II and Philip IV - they were different great love to the Venice School.
The Prado also contains more than 1 thousand exhibits of Flemish and Dutch painting. Works can be found here famous artists such as Rubens, Bosch, Bruegel and Van Dyck.
The collection also contains paintings from other schools, for example, works by artists from Great Britain, Germany and France are represented by works from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Interesting facts and features of the museum
One day is enough to see all the significant paintings and sculptures. Admission ticket valid until the museum closes and allows free entry and exit throughout the day. If you are tired, have a small amount of time before the next excursion, or your camera is dead, but you haven’t seen all the exhibits you wanted to see, then you just need to mark your ticket with security, and then you can come back a little later.
Interior of the Prado Museum (Christian Van Der Henst S. / flickr.com)
The most popular works of the Prado Museum are “Portrait of a Cardinal”, “The Three Graces”, “The Triumph of Death”, “A Wagon of Hay”, “A Knight with His Hand on His Chest”. You can also see many ancient sculptures and creations of Hellenic masters that were brought from Rome.
Be sure to visit the rooms with decorations, arts and crafts and kitchen utensils. There you will find the pearl of the museum - the “Dauphin Collection”, which was inherited by Philip V.
So that tourists can have a snack and relax, the management has provided a cafeteria. The museum also has an excellent souvenir shop, where you will find Russian-language books, fashionable souvenirs, photographs of paintings and much more interesting things.
In addition to the opportunity to take photographs, you can purchase a Russian-language audio guide for an additional fee. Although most tourists do not speak very flatteringly about it because it is not informative. If you speak English well, then it is better to use the English audio guide, which contains more information and is presented in a much more interesting way.
Opening hours of the Prado Museum
Since 2012, the museum has been open seven days a week from 10:00 to 20:00. On pre-holiday days, visiting is reduced to 14:00. Ticket price 14 euros. Additional payment: the opportunity to take photographs, purchase of a museum prospectus and an audio guide.
Free entry is provided for minors on any day and absolutely everyone National holidays. Free entry is provided every day 2 hours before closing.
