Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Burr...!! Madrid is cold compared to the southern temps. AM temperature 8 degrees. Chilly and windy to start the day so walking around Madrid until the museum opened was less enjoyable than expected.

Two big art museums in one day! Doug indicates that he had no choice in planning but to book this as a double header. Nancy's downloaded audiogram which was prepaid was not working properly so she enjoyed it less than Doug who was impressed with the organization of this art gallery and audiogram who guided the listener through the the evolution of styles over time. Lunch at a chain called "VIP" we had noted earlier on our walk and had a good break. Afternoon of 3 hours at the Prado, Rick Steves, the Europe travel organizer calls this his favourite museum in all of Europe - it was set up originally to house art work from the Royal Palaces so us commoners now get to view all these masterpieces. At 2000 + pieces in the Prado....well Nancy was pretty much toasted by the end, "art galleried out"; Doug has much more longevity in this area of interest.

Located on the Art Walk, this museum traces the history of European painting from the Middle Ages right through to the late 20th century. Italian primitives, the German Renaissance, 19th-century American art, Impressionism, German Expressionism and Russian Constructivism are the most widely represented schools and movements in the museum which are underrepresented in other Spanish museums. Paintings from the Trecento (Italian 14th century), like Christ and the Samaritan Woman by Duccio di Buoninsegna, and works by Early Netherlandish artists like The Annunciation Diptych grisaille by Jan Van Eyck are the museum’s finest examples of late medieval art. The museum also houses an exquisite collection of 15th century portraits, including one of Giovanna Tornabuoni by Ghirlandaio and one of Young Knight in a Landscape by Carpaccio. Works by Dürer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Frans Hals and Canaletto help us trace the trajectory of European art between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Romantic painters, such as Friedrich, Impressionists like Monet and Degas, and Post-Impressionists, like Gauguin and Van Gogh, all are represented in the museum’s collection.Read more