My boss was in Mallorca on Thursday so I had a free day after my Spanish lesson. I used the weekday off to see the Prado and the Reina Sofia art museums. I figured it was best to see them during the week and avoid the weekend crowds. I was a bit disappointed by the Prado, although I should admit that I'm not a big fan of "old timey" art. I appreciate these works; I think they are breathtaking, but I can only stand so many pictures of Jesus, saints, and allegorical situations. I was also disappointed by the false advertising on the map of the museum. I believed that one room was devoted to Carvaggio, one of my favorite old timey artists. When I got to the room, they had one, ONE! Oh well. I did enjoy the paintings by Goya and Velazquez and I guess it was good to enjoy two Spanish artists in Spain. One painting in particular was amazing to see in person, Velazquez's The Family of Philip IV or "Las Meninas". I have seen this picture before in a book or in a class, as well as a piece of the picture in a bookmark from the Prado from my friend Mike. I love the reflection of the king and queen in the mirror in the back of the room.
The Reina Sofia was a great museum with art more to my liking: Picasso, Miro, Dali, as well as contemporary art. The most famous piece in the museum is, of course, Picasso's Guernica:
No picture could ever do this painting justice. It is the exact opposite of Leonardo's Mona Lisa at the Louvre. You go to the Louvre, to see this famous work of art, and it is about the size of my laptop monitor and you think, this is it? When you enter the room that houses Guernica at Reina Sofia, the painting dominates the room. It is amazing. Also, the museum has a collection of sketches and paintings by Picasso of the individual elements within the painting.
The other interesting aspect of the Reina Sofia is the architecture. It is a rather simple building with a modern plaza and two glass elevator shafts that provide an amazing view of Madrid. I took lots of pictures which will appear in my next Kodak Gallery, but here are a few with me:
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