Madrid is a paradise for Art lovers with all the greats on display. The private collection at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, valued at €2 billion, has been described as major works by minor artists and minor works by great masters. If Madrid doesn’t come through with the promised new museum, the collection will likely move to Malaga, birthplace of Picasso. They have a surprisingly good collection of Impressionists and there was a special exhibit of the work of Salvador Dali. Which we skipped, having been to his museum in Figueres two years ago.
"Guernica" (from the internet)
The highlight of the Centro de Arte Riena Sofia is Picasso’s “Guernica,” a condemnation of war in general, more specifically, the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is filled with symbolism but Picasso's "style" makes it even more enigmatic. I guess you've got to be Spanish to get the full meaning. No photos are permitted, especially of this one so I stole it from the internet.
"Las Meninas" by Velazquez (pirated from the internet)
Then there is the Prado Museum, one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world. And one of the most maddening and confusing museums we have ever visited. With so much great art it is difficult to track down the most famous masterpieces in the maze of rooms whose numbers are anything but consecutive. We managed it, not without difficulty. The Prado has 90 paintings by Ruebens and more than 100 by native Goya, for example. But one we really wanted to see was "Las Meninas" by Valazquez. It was fun to watch a new crop of very talented painters perfecting their technique in the time-honored manner of copying those who came before. No photos are permitted so you will just have to trust us on this one. With the Prado we have now visited the top ten art museums in the world.
