Top 10 Facts about Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid

Image by Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid

The Prado Museum has been around for about two centuries now. It is the main Spanish National Art Museum at the heart of Madrid.

A tour of the museum will unearth some of the world’s finest art collection from Europe dating back to the 12thcentury.

Most of the collection in this museum is based on the previous Spanish Royal Collection and the most prized Spanish art.

When the Prado Museum was first founded, its collection was based on sculptures and paintings. Today, there are several other art pieces housed in this Museum.

Art pieces from great artists like Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez can be found in the Museum.

Here are more facts about the Prado Museum that you will find interesting.

1. The building was built by a famous architect

Charles III also is known as Carlos commissioned the build of Prado museum in 1785.

The architect commissioned was Juan de Villanueva. Juan was known as the architect of enlightenment in Spain.

This was going to be Madrid’s Natural History Museum. It is now the main Spanish national art museum exhibiting the finest European arts dating back to 12^th century to early 20^th century.

It was initially known as the Royal museum but was renamed the National Museum of Paintings and Sculptures.

The museum opened its door to the public in 1819 by King Ferdinand VII and Queen Isabel. This is when it was given its current name Museo Nacional Del Prado.

2. It officially became a museum in 1819

By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra – Wikimedia

When the museum was first designed in 1785, it was intended to a centre for natural sciences.

It was until 1819 when the museum became a public gallery after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel repurposed it.

Queen Isabel convinced King Ferdinand, who was Charles III, grandson, to use the Royal Museum for paintings and sculptures.

The museum was built to showcase the works of art belonging to the Spanish Royal Family.

Its other aim was to show Europe that Spanish art was of equal merit.

3. The art in the museum is part of the golden triangle of art

Museo Nacional Del Prado is part of Madrid’s three museums that form the Golden Triangle of Art. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and Museo Reina Sofia are the other two.

These three museums considered important and are located close to each other on the Paseo del Prado in central Madrid in Spain.

They have the best Spanish and European art collections exhibited in the public gallery.

The art displayed have unique artistic features as well as art techniques that have dominated for the past 5 centuries in Europe.

It is a true representation of Spanish rich cultural heritage.

4. Nacional del Prado Museum has the best art

Oil on Canvas painting By Francisco Goya – Wikimedia

The Prado is one of the richest museums concerning the works exhibited. It has artwork from great European art masters from the 16^th to 19^th centuries.

Some of the artists whose works are displayed include El Greco, Goya, Titian, Ruben, Hieronymus Bosch, Las Meninas and Velázquez.

There are other collections from different eras such as Greco-Roman sculptures, drawings and prints.

They have temporary exhibitions showcasing the works of both Spanish and foreign artists.

5. The first art pieces to be exhibited in the museum were exclusively Spanish

When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel remodelled the Royal Museum to the now Prado museum; they intended to exclusively display Spanish art.

Therefore, when the museum opened its door to the public in 1819, there was a total of 311 Spanish paintings.

Other artworks in the museum were a collection from more than 1000 royal residences.

The collection increased in the 16^th century when Charles V succeeded the Habsburg and Bourbon monarchs.

Part of the royal collection in the museum include; The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch, and The Family of Charles IV by Goya.

6. Some of the art found in this museum are from museums that are closed

By Schnäggli – Wikimedia

When Prado museum first opened its doors, the collection of paintings was roughly 1510.

Today, there are more than 7600 paintings, additionally, there are more than 1000 sculptures in the museum’s collection.

Some of these collections are from museums that are now closed like the Museo de la Trinidad in 1872, and the Museo de Arte Moderno in 1971.

There are several legacies, donations, and purchases that have been made by the museum increasing its collection.

7. The museum was known as Royal Museum

By Diego Velázquez – Wikimedia

After Charles III, Ferdinand and Queen Isabel took over reign in Spain.

King Ferdinand was not certain on what to do with then them museum known as Royal museum.

Queen Isabel convinced the King to use the museum for Paintings and Sculptures.

It was then renamed the National Museum of Paintings and Sculpture and later on renamed Museo Nacional del Prado.

The renaming to its current name happened in 1868 when it was nationalized.

Museum del Prado means the museum of the meadow about its previous function as a centre of natural sciences.

It was expanded in the 20^th century to accommodate its growing collection.

8. The museum was extended to accommodate its growing collection

The Prado museum in Madrid has had its collection grow over the years, it has been around for more than one century.

As time went by, the museum’s space grew smaller and an additional structure was built.

More extension was done in the 1950s and 1960s. The new two buildings are the Palacio de Villahermosa and the Cason del Buen Retiro.

Another new wing was designed by Rafael Moneo and was completed in 2007.

9. Some of the art in the museum were donated

The Prado Museum has numerous heirlooms, donations and acquisitions that have contributed to the growth of its collection.

Most of the Museum’s 19th-century paintings were donated from the former Museo de Arte Moderno.

Artwork from this museum included works by the Madrazos, José de Madrazo y Agudo and Federico de Madrazo, Vicente López, Carlos de Haes, Eduardo Rosales and Sorolla.

More than 2000 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings have been added to Prado’s original collection.

Important donations in the museum include Barón Emile d’Erlanger’s gift of Goya’s Black Paintings in 1881.

10. Not all the art is displayed in the museum

By Schnäggli – Wikimedia

Museo Nacional del Prado has over 25,000 artworks ranging from sculptures, prints, drawings, paintings among other important historic documents and masterpieces.

This means that their collection is so large that they cannot display them all in the public gallery.

Only 1/7^th of its total collection is on display. Some of their collections were loaned to other institutions and museums temporarily.

In 2014, they sent some of their collection of Italian masterpieces to Melbourne Australia. Majority of their collection has been showcased in Spain only.