The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. Although primarily co ...

, located in central

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish royal collection, and the single best collection of

Spanish art Spanish art has been an important contributor to Western art and Spain has produced many famous and influential artists including Velázquez, Goya and Picasso. Spanish art was particularly influenced by France and Italy during the Baroque and ...

. Founded as a museum of

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and a ...

s and

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. The Prado Museum is one of the most visited sites in the world, and is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world. The numerous works by

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His p ...

, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco,

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradit ...

, Titian, and Diego Velázquez, are some of the highlights of the collection. Velázquez and his keen eye and sensibility were also responsible for bringing much of the museum's fine collection of Italian masters to Spain, now one of the largest outside Italy. The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to many other works of art and historic documents. As of 2012, the museum displayed about 1,300 works in the main buildings, while around 3,100 works were on temporary loan to various museums and official institutions. The remainder were in storage.See also ''Museo del Prado, Catálogo de las pinturas'', 1996, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Madrid, No ISBN, which lists about 7,800 paintings. Many works have been passed to the Museo Reina Sofia and other museums over the years; others are on loan or in storage. On the new displays, se
El Prado se reordena y agranda. europapress.es here (in Spanish)
/ref> Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, in 2020 attendance plunged by 76 percent to 852,161. Nonetheless, the Prado was ranked as the 16th most-visited museum in the list of most-visited art museums in the world in 2020. It is one of the largest museums in Spain. The Prado, with the nearby Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Museo Reina Sofía, forms Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, which was included in the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

list in 2021.

History

The building that is now the home of the Museo Nacional del Prado was designed in 1785 by architect of the

Enlightenment in Spain The ideas of the Age of Enlightenment ( es, Ilustración) came to Spain in the 18th century with the new Bourbon dynasty, following the death of the last Habsburg monarch, Charles II, in 1700. The period of reform and 'enlightened despotism' u ...

Juan de Villanueva Juan de Villanueva (September 15, 1739 in Madrid – August 22, 1811) was a Spanish architect. Alongside Ventura Rodríguez, Villanueva is the best known architect of Spanish Neoclassicism. Biography His father was the sculptor Juan de Villa ...

on the orders of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person ...

to house the Natural History Cabinet. Nonetheless, the building's final function was not decided until the monarch's grandson, Ferdinand VII, encouraged by his wife, Queen María Isabel de Braganza, decided to use it as a new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures. The royal museum, which would soon become known as the National Museum of Painting and Sculpture, and subsequently the Museo Nacional del Prado, opened to the public for the first time in November 1819. It was created with the double aim of showing the works of art belonging to the Spanish Crown and to demonstrate to the rest of Europe that Spanish art was of equal merit to any other national school. Also, this museum needed several renovations during the 19th and 20th centuries, because of the increase of the collection as well as the increase of the public who wants to see all the collection that the museum hosted. Grand hall d'exposition au Musée du Prado

Grand hall d'exposition au Musée du Prado

The first catalogue of the museum, published in 1819 and solely devoted to Spanish painting, included 311 paintings, although at that time the museum housed 1,510 from the various royal residences, the Reales Sitios, including works from other schools. The exceptionally important royal collection, which forms the nucleus of the present-day Museo del Prado, started to increase significantly in the 16th century during the time of Charles V and continued under the succeeding Habsburg and Bourbon monarchs. Their efforts and determination led to the royal collection being enriched by some of the masterpieces now to be seen in the Prado. These include '' The Descent from the Cross (van der Weyden)'' by Rogier van der Weyden, '' The Garden of Earthly Delights'' by Hieronymous Bosch, ''

The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest ''The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest'' (also known as ''The Gentleman with His Hand at His Breast'' or ''Gentleman with his Hand on his Chest'') ( es, El caballero de la mano en el pecho) is an oil painting by El Greco, one of the earlies ...

'' by El Greco, '' Death of the Virgin (Mantegna)'' by Mantegna, ''The Holy Family'', known as " La Perla (painting)", by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual ...

, '' Equestrian Portrait of Charles V'' by Titian, '' Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet'' by

Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed wit ...

, Dürer's '' Self-portrait at 26'', '' Las Meninas'' by Velázquez, '' The Three Graces'' by Rubens, and '' The Family of Charles IV'' by Goya. In addition to works from the Spanish royal collection, other holdings increased and enriched the museum with further masterpieces, such as the two Majas by Goya. Among the now closed museums whose collections have been added to that of the Prado were the Museo de la Trinidad in 1872, and the Museo de Arte Moderno in 1971. In addition, numerous legacies, donations and purchases have been of crucial importance for the growth of the collection. Various works entered the Prado from the Museo de la Trinidad, including ''The Fountain of Grace'' by the School of Van Eyck, the Santo Domingo and San Pedro Martír altarpieces painted for the monastery of Santo Tomás in Ávila by Pedro Berruguete, and the five canvases by El Greco executed for the Colegio de doña María de Aragón. Most of the Museum's 19th-century paintings come from the former Museo de Arte Moderno, including works by the Madrazos,

José de Madrazo y Agudo José Sotero de Madrazo y Agudo (22 April 1781 – 8 May 1859) was a Spanish painter and engraver; one of the primary exponents of the Neoclassical style in Spain. He was the patriarch of a family of artists that included his sons Federico ...

and

Federico de Madrazo Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz (9 February 181510 June 1894) was a Spanish painter. Biography Born in Rome, he was the son of José de Madrazo y Agudo, the painter and former Director of the Prado Museum. Federico's grandfather on his mother side ...

, Vicente López,

Carlos de Haes Carlos Sebastián Pedro Hubert de Haes (January 25, 1829 – June 17, 1898) was a Spanish painter from Belgium.Caso, E. F., ''Les Orientalistes de l'école Espagnole,'' ACR edition, 1997, p. 128 He was noted for the Realism in his landscapes, ...

Eduardo Rosales Eduardo Rosales Gallinas (4 November 1836 – 13 September 1873) was a Spanish painter. He was an adherent of the Italian-based art movement known as " Purismo" and specialized in historical scenes. Biography He was born in Madrid. The second ...

and Sorolla. Upon the deposition of

Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successi ...

in 1868, the museum was nationalized and acquired the new name of "Museo del Prado". The building housed the royal collection of arts, and it rapidly proved too small. The first enlargement to the museum took place in 1918. Since the creation of the Museo del Prado more than 2,300 paintings have been incorporated into its collection, as well as numerous sculptures, prints, drawings and works of art through bequests, donations and purchases, which account for most of the New Acquisitions. Numerous bequests have enriched the museum's holdings, such as the outstanding collection of medals left to the museum by Pablo Bosch; the drawings and items of decorative art left by Pedro Fernández Durán as well as Van der Weyden's masterpiece, '' Duran Madonna''; and the Ramón de Errazu bequest of 19th-century paintings. Particularly important donations include Barón Emile d'Erlanger's gift of Goya's Black Paintings in 1881. Among the numerous works that have entered the collection through purchase are some outstanding ones acquired in recent years including two works by El Greco, ''The Fable'' and ''The Flight into Egypt'' acquired in 1993 and 2001, Goya's '' The Countess of Chinchon'' bought in 2000, Velázquez's ''Portrait of Ferdinando Brandani'', acquired in 2003, Bruegel's ''

The Wine of Saint Martin's Day ''The Wine of Saint Martin's Day'' is the largest painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It is currently held in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, where it was identified as a Bruegel original in 2010. Like much of Bruegel's work it depicts peasant lif ...

'' bought in 2010 and Fra Angelico's ''Madonna of the Pomegranate'' purchased in 2016. Velázquez en El Prado

Between 1873 and 1900, the Prado helped decorate city halls, new universities, and churches. During the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...

from 1931 to 1936, the focus was on developing provincial museums. During the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

, upon the recommendation of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...

, the museum staff removed 353 paintings, 168 drawings and the Dauphin's Treasure and sent the art to

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

, then later to

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capit ...

, and finally to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

. The art had to be returned across French territory in night trains to the museum upon the commencement of World War II. During the early years of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, many paintings were sent to embassies. The main building was enlarged with short pavilions in the rear between 1900 and 1960. The next enlargement was the incorporation of two buildings (nearby but not adjacent) into the institutional structure of the museum: the

Casón del Buen Retiro The Casón del Buen Retiro is an annex of the Museo del Prado complex in Madrid. Following major restoration work, which was completed in October 2007,Salón de Reinos The ''Salón de Reinos'' (translated as "Hall of the Kingdoms" or "Hall of Realms") or ''salón grande'' ("great hall") is a 17th-century building in Madrid, originally a wing of the Buen Retiro Palace. The Salón de Reinos and the Casón del B ...

(Throne building), formerly the Army Museum. In 1993, an extension proposed by the Prado's director at the time, Felipe Garin, was quickly abandoned after a wave of criticism. In the late 1990s, a $14 million roof work forced the Velázquez masterpiece ''Las Meninas'' to change galleries twice. In 1998, the Prado annex in the nearby Casón del Buen Retiro closed for a $10 million two-year overhaul that included three new underground levels. In 2007, the museum finally executed Rafael Moneo's project to expand its exposition room to 16,000 square meters, hoping to increase the yearly number of visitors from 1.8 million to 2.5 million. Interior of Prado Museum Madrid

A glass-roofed and wedge-shaped foyer now contains the museum's shops and cafeteria, removing them from the main building to make more room for galleries. The 16th-century Cloister of Jerónimo has been removed stone by stone to make foundations for increased stability of surrounding buildings and will be re-assembled in the new museum's extension. Hydraulic jacks had to be used to prevent the basement walls from falling during construction. The enlargement is an underground building which connects the main building to another one entirely reconstructed. In November 2016, it was announced that British architect Norman Foster, in a joint project with Carlos Rubio Carvajal, is to renovate the Hall of Realms, which once formed part of the Buen Retiro palace and transform it into a $32 million extension of the Prado. The museum announced the selection of Foster and Rubio after a jury reviewed the proposals of the eight competition finalists – including David Chipperfield, Rem Koolhaas and Eduardo Souto de Moura –, who had already been shortlisted from an initial list of 47 international teams of architects.Raphael Minder (25 November 2016)
Norman Foster to Remodel Palace for Prado Extension
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. The building was acquired by the Prado in 2015, after having served as an army museum until 2005. The project is designed to give the Prado about 61,500 square feet of additional available space, of which about 27,000 square feet will be used to exhibit works. Only in 2021, the Spanish government approved the plans and awarded the project 36 million euros.

Historic structure

The Prado Museum building is one of the buildings constructed during the reign of

(Carlos III) as part of a grandiose building scheme designed to bestow upon

a monumental urban space. The building was initially conceived by José Moñino y Redondo, count of Floridablanca, and was commissioned in 1785 by Charles III for the ''reurbanización'' of the Paseo del Prado. To this end, Charles III called on one of his favorite architects,

, author also of the nearby Botanical Garden and the City Hall of Madrid. The ''prado'' ("meadow") that was where the museum now stands gave its name to the area, the Salón del Prado (later

Paseo del Prado The Paseo del Prado is one of the main boulevards in Madrid, Spain. It runs north–south between the Plaza de Cibeles and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V (also known as Plaza de Atocha), with the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo (the loca ...

), and to the museum itself upon

nationalisation Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to p ...

. Work on the building stopped at the conclusion of Charles III's reign and throughout the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spai ...

and was only initiated again during the reign of Charles III's grandson, Ferdinand VII. The premises had been used as headquarters for the

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...

and a

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). T ...

-store for the

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

ic troops based in Madrid during the war. The next renovations that this museum will undergo will be conducted by British architect Norman Foster. This renovation was approved in June 2020 and is expected to take a minimum of four years.

Collection highlights

Selected works

File:Weyden-descendimiento-prado-Ca-1435.jpg, Rogier van der Weyden, '' The Descent from the Cross'', c. 1435 File:Andrea Mantegna 047.jpg, Andrea Mantegna, ''

Death of the Virgin The Death of the Virgin Mary is a common subject in Western Christian art, the equivalent of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Eastern Orthodox art. This depiction became less common as the doctrine of the Assumption gained support in the Roma ...

'', c. 1461 File:Cristo muerto, sostenido por un ángel (Antonello da Messina).jpg, Antonello da Messina, ''The Dead Christ Supported by an Angel'', c. 1475 File:Albrecht Dürer - Self-Portrait at 26 - WGA6925.jpg, Albrecht Dürer ''

Self-portrait A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century tha ...

'', 1498 File:Albrecht Dürer - Adam and Eve (Prado) 2.jpg, Albrecht Dürer '' Adam and Eve'', 1507 File:Portrait of a Cardinal, by Raffael, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg,

, '' Portrait of a Cardinal'', c. 1510–11 File:Crossing the River Styx.jpg, Joachim Patinir, '' Landscape with Charon Crossing the Styx'', c. 1515–1524 File:El Lavatorio (Tintoretto).jpg,

, '' Christ Washing the Disciples' Feet'', c. 1518 File:Rafael - La Perla.JPG,

, '' The Pearl'', c. 1518-1520 File:Correggio Noli Me Tangere.jpg, Correggio, '' Noli me tangere'', c. 1525 File:Bacanal de los andrios.jpg, Titian, '' Bacchanal of the Andrians'', c. 1523–1526 File:Carlos V en Mühlberg, by Titian, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg, Titian, '' Equestrian Portrait of Charles V'', c. 1548 File:La Gloria (Tiziano).jpg, Titian, ''

La Gloria (Titian) ''La Gloria'' is a painting by Titian, commissioned by Charles V in 1550 or 1551 and completed in 1554. It was first given this title by José Sigüenza in 1601 — it is also known as ''The Trinity'', ''The Final Judgement'' , ''Paradise'', and ...

'', c. 1554 File:Tizian 091.jpg, Titian, '' The Fall of Man'', c. 1570 File:Trinidad El Greco2.jpg, El Greco, '' Holy Trinity (El Greco)'', 1577–1579 File:El caballero de la mano en el pecho, by El Greco, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg, El Greco, '' The Knight with His Hand on His Breast'', c. 1580 File:Venus y Adonis (Veronese).jpg, Paolo Veronese, '' Venus and Adonis'', c. 1580 File:David and Goliath by Caravaggio.jpg, Caravaggio, '' David and Goliath'', 1600 File:Ciego tocando la zanfonía (Georges de La Tour).jpg, Georges de La Tour, ''Ciego tocando la zanfonía'', 1610–1630 File:Hipómenes y Atalanta (Reni).jpg,

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religi ...

, '' Hipómenes y Atalanta'', 1618–19 File:La adoración de los pastores (El Greco).jpg, El Greco, ''

The Adoration of the Shepherds (El Greco, Madrid) ''The Adoration of the Shepherds'' is a painting of the traditional subject which was painted during the last year of El Greco's life. The painting is a work which the artist made to hang over his own tomb in the convent of Santo Domingo el An ...

'', 1577–1579 File:Landscape with Sea and Mountains (1).jpg, Joos de Momper, '' Landscape with Sea and Mountains'', c. 1623 Gaspar de Crayer - Caritas Romana (Prado).jpg,

Gaspar de Crayer Gaspar de Crayer or Jasper de CrayerName variations: Caspar de Crayer and Gaspard de Crayer (18 November 1584 – 27 January 1669) was a Flemish painter known for his many Counter-Reformation altarpieces and portraits. He was a court painter ...

, '' Caritas Romana'', ca. 1625 File:El Parnaso (Poussin).jpg, Nicolas Poussin, '' Parnassus'', c. 1630–31 File:Artemisia, by Rembrandt, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg, Rembrandt, '' Artemisia'', c. 1634 File:Anthony van Dyck - Sir Endymion Porter and van Dyck.png,

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh ...

, '' Self-portrait with Endymion Porter'', c. 1635 File:Velazquez-The Surrender of Breda.jpg, Diego Velázquez, ''

The Surrender of Breda ''La rendición de Breda'' (English: ''The Surrender of Breda'', also known as ''Las lanzas'' – ''The Lances'') is a painting by the Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez. It was completed during the years 1634–35, inspired by Velázque ...

'', 1634–35 File:Velázquez - Dios Marte (Museo del Prado, c. 1638).jpg, Diego Velázquez, '' Mars Resting'', 1639–1641 File:El sueño de Jacob, por José de Ribera.jpg,

José de Ribera Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652) was a painter and printmaker, who along with Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and the singular Diego Velázquez, are regarded as the major artists of Spanish Baroque painting. Referring to ...

, ''

Jacob's Dream ''Jacob's Dream'' ( es, El sueño de Jacob) is a 1639 oil-on-canvas painting by the Spanish Tenebrist painter José de Ribera (''Lo Spagnoletto''). Description It measures and is in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Analysis Jacob appears as ...

'', 1639 File:Peter Paul Rubens 115.jpg,

, '' The Judgement of Paris'', 1638–39 File:Paisaje con el embarco en Ostia de Santa Paula Romana (Gellée).jpg, Claude Lorrain '' El embarque de santa Paula'', 1639–40 File:Francisco de Zurbarán 006.jpg, Francisco de Zurbarán, ''

Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and i ...

'', 1635–1640 File:Murillo immaculate conception.jpg, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, '' La Inmaculada de Soult'', 1678 File:The Immaculate Conception, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, ''The Immaculate Conception'', 1767 File:El Tres de Mayo, by Francisco de Goya, from Prado thin black margin.jpg,

, '' The Third of May 1808,'' 1814 File:Goya Dog.jpg,

, '' The Dog,'' 1819–1823 File:Francisco de Goya, Saturno devorando a su hijo (1819-1823).jpg,

, '' Saturn Devouring His Son'', 1819–1823 File:Paul Baudry - The Pearl and the Wave - c 1862 - Detroit Institute of Arts.jpg, Paul Baudry,

The Pearl and the Wave ''The Pearl and the Wave'' (French: ''La Perle et la vague''), also known as ''The Wave and the Pearl'', is a painting by the French artist Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry created in 1862. The painting shows a nude woman lying on the edge of a rocky se ...

, 1862 File:Fusilamiento de Torrijos (Gisbert).jpg, Antonio Gisbert Pérez, '' Execution of Torrijos and his Companions on the Beach at Málaga'', 1882

Management

La adoración de los Reyes Magos (Rubens, Prado)

Funding

Until the early 2000s, the Prado's annual income was approximately $18 million, $15 million of which came from the government and the remainder from private contributions, publications, and admissions. In 2001, the conservative government of

José María Aznar José María Alfredo Aznar López (; born 25 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who was the prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He led the People's Party (PP), the dominant centre-right political party in Spain. A member of the Fre ...

decided to change the museum's financing platform, ushering in a public-private partnership. Under its new bylaws, which the

Cortes Generales The Cortes Generales (; en, Spanish Parliament, lit=General Courts) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house), and the Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies m ...

approved in 2003, the Prado must gradually reduce its level of state support to 50 percent from 80 percent. In exchange, the museum gained control of the budget — now roughly €35 million — and the power to raise money from corporate donations and merchandising. However, its recent €150 million expansion was paid for by the Spanish state. In 1991, Manuel Villaescusa bequeathed his fortune of nearly $40 million in Madrid real estate to the Prado, to be used solely for the acquisition of paintings. The museum subsequently sold Villaescusa's buildings to realize income from them. The bequest suddenly made the Prado one of the most formidable bidders for paintings in the world.

Directors

The first four directors were drawn from nobility. From 1838 to 1960, the directors were mostly artists. Since then, most of them have been art historians. * The Marquess of Santa Cruz, 1817–1820 * The Prince of Anglona, 1820–1823 *, 1823–1826 * The Duke of Híjar, 1826–1838 * José de Madrazo, 1838–1857 * Juan Antonio de Ribera, 1857–1860 *

, 1860–1868 *

Antonio Gisbert Antonio Gisbert Pérez (19 December 1834 – 27 November 1901) was a Spanish artist situated on the cusp between the realist and romantic movements in art. He was known for painting pictures of important events in a country's history in a re ...

, 1868–1873 * Francisco Sans Cabot, 1873–1881 *

, 1881–1894 *

Vicente Palmaroli Vicente Palmaroli González (5 September 1834 – 25 January 1896) was a Spanish portrait and genre painter. Biography He was born in Zarzalejo, the son of Gaetano Palmaroli, an Italian painter and lithographer, who was his first teac ...

, 1894–1896 * Francisco Pradilla, 1896–1898 * Luis Álvarez Catalá, 1898–1901 * José Villegas Cordero, 1901–1918 * Aureliano de Beruete y Moret, 1918–1922 * Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor, 1922–1931 *

Ramón Pérez de Ayala Ramón Pérez de Ayala y Fernández del Portal (9 August 1880, in Oviedo – 5 August 1962, in Madrid) was a Spanish writer. He was the Spanish ambassador to England in London (1931-1936) and voluntarily exiled himself to Argentina via F ...

, 1931–1936 * Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 1936–1939 * Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor, 1939–1960 * Francisco Javier Sánchez Cantón, 1960–1968 *

Diego Angulo Íñiguez Diego Angulo Iñiguez (July 18, 1901 – October 5, 1986) was an art historian, a university professor, writer and Director of the Prado Museum in Madrid from 1968 to 1970. Complementing his career as a curator an academic, he served as one of ...

, 1968–1971 *, 1971–1978 *, 1978–1981 *, 1981–1983 *, 1983–1991 *, 1991–1993 * Francisco Calvo Serraller, 1993–1994 *, 1994–1996 *, 1996–2002 *, 2002–2017 *, 2017 – present

In Google Earth

In 2009, the Prado Museum selected 14 of its most important paintings to be displayed in

Google Earth Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...

and

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets (Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...

at extremely high resolution, with the largest displayed at 14,000

megapixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device. In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...

s. The images' zoom capability allows for close-up views of paint texture and fine detail.

Nearby museums

A few meters away there are two museums of international significance, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Museo Reina Sofía. Nearby is the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. The Museo Arqueológico houses the archaeological collections formerly in the collection of the Prado, with works from Spain, Ancient Egypt,

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

, and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The Naval museum, managed by the Ministry of Defence, is also nearby.

Special exhibitions

Between 8 November 2011 and 25 March 2012, a group of 179 works of art were brought to the Museo del Prado from the

Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the larges ...

in St. Petersburg. Notable works included: * '' A Scholar'' (1631), by Rembrandt * '' The Lute Player'' (c. 1596), by Caravaggio * '' Ecstasy of Saint Teresa'' (1647), by

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

* ''

Game of Bowls ''Game of Bowls'' is a 1908 painting by the French artist Henri Matisse. The painting shows three young men, probably Matisse's sons and nephew, playing a game of boules. Matisse sees the game as a manifestation of man's creativity, and an instrum ...

'' (1908), by

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prim ...

* ''Bouquet of Cornflowers with Stems of Oats in a Vase'' (c. 1900), by House of Fabergé * '' Pond at Montgeron'' (1876), by

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...

* ''Belt buckle with a monster attacking a horse'', (4th–3rd century BC), (gold ornament from Peter I's

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...

n Collection) * ''Moonrise, Two Men on the Shore'' (c. 1900), by

Caspar David Friedrich Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840) was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landsca ...

Composition VI ''Composition VI'' is a 1913 oil painting on canvas by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky, now in the Hermitage Museum, in Saint Petersburg. The result of 24 studies, it took the painter eight months to complete the large painting. He wanted ...

(1913), by Wassily Kandinsky * ''Metaphysical Still life'' (1918), by Giorgio Morandi Conversely, for the first time in its 200-year history, the Museo del Prado has toured an exhibition of its renowned collection of Italian masterpieces at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, from 16 May 2014 until 31 August 2014. Many of the works have never before left Spain.

References

External links

*
Masterworks in the collectionPrado in Google Earth, extra high resolution
{{Authority control Prado Prado Paseo del Prado Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in Madrid Tourism in Madrid Art museums established in 1819 1819 establishments in Spain Juan de Villanueva buildings Neoclassical architecture in Madrid Cultural tourism in Spain Buildings and structures in Jerónimos neighborhood, Madrid