The Prado Museum

The Prado Museum

Introduction The Prado Museum has been a specialized fine arts museum since 1818 and is one of the world’s four major museums. It is also the most comprehensive and authoritative gallery for Spanish paintings. The museum houses works by master painters such as Velázquez, Goya, Murillo, El Greco, Berruguete, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, and Rubens. The collection includes 8,600 paintings, over 5,000 drawings, 2,000 sculptures, more than 700 pieces of sculpture and partial works, approximately 1,000 coins and medals, and nearly 2,000 decorative artworks. The museum is divided into two adjacent sections: the Villanueva Building and the Casón del Buen Retiro.

In front of the museum’s three main entrances stand statues of Spain’s most outstanding representatives in classical painting: Goya, Velázquez, and Murillo.

Famous Collections:

Velázquez’s “Las Meninas”: After nearly 40 years of serving King Philip IV and his wife, Velázquez created this uniquely framed royal “family portrait.” The central figure of the painting is the young Princess Margaret, with all other characters surrounding and focusing on her. This is because, after the unexpected death of Prince Carlos, five-year-old Margaret became the heir to the throne and the only hope of the aging king and queen. Without a deep understanding of the couple's expectations and concerns, the painter could not have created such a profoundly meaningful work.

Goya’s “The Nude Maja”: This painting caused a huge stir in the art world at the time, likely being the first nude portrait not depicted as a goddess.

Other Collections:

Royal Collection: Spanish monarchs, especially Charles V, Philip II, and Philip IV, were great patrons of the arts. In 1872, the collections of the Museo de la Trinidad were fully incorporated into the Prado Museum. The royal collection mainly features works from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Spanish Paintings: Ranging from Gothic frescoes to representative works by Velázquez, El Greco, Murillo, and Goya.

Italian Paintings: Including works from the Renaissance to the 18th century, with notable highlights from Raphael and the Venetian school.

Flemish Paintings: Featuring works by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Bruegel, among others.

French and German Paintings: Although the quantity is small, the quality is exceptionally high. Transportation Address: Paseo del Prado

Subway: Banco de España Station on Line 2 or Atocha Station on Line 1. Admission / Opening Hours Opening Hours: Daily 9:00–19:00, 9:00–14:00 on December 24 and December 31, closed on January 6, Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), May 1, December 25, and every Monday.

Admission: €6, half price for students under 25, free admission every Sunday from 9:00–19:00, also free on October 12 (Spanish Language Day), December 6 (Constitution Day), May 2 (Madrid Regional Holiday), and May 18 (International Museum Day).

Art Tour Pass: €12, valid for one year. Grants access to the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Reina Sofía National Art Center.

Prado Museum Annual Pass: €36, allows unlimited entry to the Prado Museum for one year.

Madrid, Spain