As with the Reina Sofia, I'm going to include 10 of the many many works of art & saw & liked. In no particular order:
1. Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656). Yet another painting where I didn't realize how HUGE it was until I saw it in-person. It's interesting to see how to Velázquez depicts optical preceptions of light vs. merely using it to model figures. In turn, there's appearance of light on the surface but more closely, it became immediately clear that his figures also dissolve into a maze of individual strokes of paint. The mirror reflecting the king & queen (where the viewer would in theory be reflected!) also contributes to the motif of illusion & the artist-spectator relationship. Of course, you can see Velázquez himself painting on the left with the Order of Santiago on his chest, proclaiming the importance of painting as a liberal art.
2. Francisco de Goya's Family of Charles IV (1800). Even though King Charles IV looks extremely bloated & under all his fine clothes & jewels, as unfit a ruler as he apparently was -not to mention his wife's alleged affairs are suggested with her wandering eye- he apparently was a big fan of the painting! Go figure. Very typical of Goya to satirically depit how the authority of the Spanish aristocracy was crumbling at the time. Fun Fact: Fernando VII (again, the royal who founded the Prado!) is the one on the left in blue.
3. Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1505-15). In the right panel, we see sinners meeting their fate during the Last Judgement, no biggie. And the left panel includes Adam & Eve with an owl nearby to represent both wisdom & folly. Yet perhaps there's something to be said with the clear humanist/renaissance views here of the power of education & that humans will choose the Right Path when they're made aware of it. Even with the unnatural hybrids, monstrous birds & huge fruits representing how Bosch believes how far we've strayed, his eye for complex detail is facsinating to look at. Which makes sense, since it was comissioned by an Flemish aristocrat for his townhouse & thus probably meant to inspire discussion in the first place. Another slide Blogger keeps painfully downsizing, but you can see a decently-sized one here.
4. Velázquez's The Surrender at Breda (The Lances) (1635). Of course, I had to include another Velázquez here. Especially with its unique protrayal of triumph & conquest far from your typical gloating. The painting specifically depicts the 1625defeat of the Dutch at Breda by the Spanish commander Ambrosino Spinola. The Dutch Commander is handing over the keys of Breda to the Spinola. There's the contrast of the Spaniards' densely packed lances which stand vertically upright to those of the defeated Dutch on the other side. Even though historical reports don't include any handingover of keys, document the Dutch as the more presentable group- who then retook Breda less than a decade later- it's certainly a beautiful work of art, even if it isn't 100% historically accurate.Velázquez doesn't dissapoint in his rendering of faces, gestures & flowing color (especially when used to depict the landscape) in trying to convince us otherwise, though!
5. Goya's The 3rd of May, 1808 (1814-15). Like with Velázquez, the Prado boasts an impressive collection of Goya's work, so of course I had to include another one. Goya's paying tribute to the Spanish resisters of the French occupations while focusing on the horror of war. Like with Picasso's Guernica, it's size makes it even more moving & bloody in-person. With the sensationalist depiction of what was then a current event, loose brushwork, realist facial expressions, off-balance composition & dramatic lighting, some argue this is actually one of the first modern artworks.
6. Rogier van der Weyden’s Deposition (c.1435-38). Van Der Weyden does an amazing job depicting the drama & emotion of Christ on the cross, especially with the palette he chooses to use. The figures almost appear three-dimensional, encouraging the viewer to identify with their plight. Especially with the graceful curve of the body of Christ & the Virgin Mary to the left, depicting their emotional connection as mother & son. The iconic event is eloquently linked with humanism's focus on individual expression of emotion as you can see each figure reacting in their own unique way.
7. Clara Peeters’ Still Life With Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit & Pretzels (1611). I was instantly drawn to this painting & equally impressed seeing a female artist displayed at the Prado- unfortunately a rare exception. The contrast of dark & light hitting the surfaces, the shapes of goblet, bowl & flowers as well as the intricate curves of the pretzels are spectacular. Too bad female artists are seldom recognized for their work to the same extent male artists are.
8. Peter Paul Rubens' Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma (1603). Rubens painted this portrait during his visit to Spain, one of his many examples of art & politics/diplomacy together. While it reflects royal portraiture at the time in an influential & fierce appearance, Rubens also infuses it with his typical lush color & gleaming light.
9. Federico Madrazo's La Condesa de Vilches (1853). Confession time: I probably would've looked this painting over if my guidebook hadn't told me I should seek it out. Especially considering I had never heard of Madrazo before. Which is a shame because he does a great job depicting her grace & beauty through the tone of her skin, the folds & patterning of her flattering blue dress, and her warm smile. Another painting whose details are truly appreciated up close & I hope to see more of his work at the Prado when I go back to Madrid.
10. Passion for Renoir. The Collection of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. The Prado had a temporary exhibition of works by Renoir from the Clark Institute in Williamston, MA which was set to close that Sunday. The reason why it was such a wonderful surprise was because I went on a field trip to the Clark with my Art in the Age of Impressionism class last semester & almost all the Renoirs on view were currently loaned out for this very exhibit! I'm a big fan of Renoir's portraits & I can't choose just one, so slides of each the ones on view are available here if you're interested. Again, it was a wonderful surprise to be able the catch the very exhibit of the Renoirs I couldn't see back in the fall- & during its last few days at that! (We learned they had been lent out when we got to the Clark, but I didn't know where.)
For other art history aficionados who are visiting the Prado, I would highly suggest a "game plan" to make sure you see everything you want to see- or almost everything, anyway. And therefore, keep the possibility open of coming back again, since it can be a lot to meaningfully take in in a day. For example, I didn't get to see most of the Rembrants, Rubens, or Titians I wanted to see as well as the arists- like Clara Peeters- which I was introduced to for the first time. There was also a group of El Greco paintings which I was looking forward to see which are currently on loan to a museum in Saint Petersburg & won't be back until the end of May. Meaning I may or may not be able to catch them. And that's all what I can think of at the top of my head alone! Luckily, I know there's a very good chance I'll be heading back when my program ends :)
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