The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain is one of the largest and most important art museums in the world. The Museo Nacional del Prado Museum is located in the center of the Spanish capital at the address: Spain, Autonomous Community of Madrid, Madrid, Ruiz de Alarcón Street, 23.
Historical data and facts
- Date of foundation: November 19, 1819.
- Architect: Jesus de Villanueva.
- Number of exhibits: more than 20 thousand.
- Official website: museodelprado. es
- Open to the public: Mon-Sat: 10:00-20:00; Sun: 10:00-19:00.
Interesting facts:
- In 1936-1939, the museum was headed by Pablo Picasso.
- There is no hall with number thirteen in the museum.
- In the early years of its operation, the museum was not accessible to visitors on days when it rained.
- There is an exact copy of the Mona Lisa in the exhibition, the authorship is attributed to a disciple of the great Leonardo.
There are over 7 thousand works of art in the Prado, starting from the XII century. During 2023, over 3 million people visited the expositions of the Prado, where the best examples of European art are presented.
Architecture and appearance
The main museum collection is housed in a building built by architect Juan de Villanueva. The architect conceived the neoclassical style structure to emphasize the continuity of artistic traditions.
Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain. Photo.
Compositionally, Villanueva’s main building consists of 3 parts: 2 square pavilions topped with domes are attached to the central massive rectangular building. The spaces are united by long arched galleries.
The entrance group to the central building of the museum is decorated in a classic style, here are:
- 2-storey portico decorated with 6 Doric columns;
- entablature;
- cornice;
- a rectangular pediment decorated with a frieze.
The frieze, which was executed by the sculptor R. Barba, allegorically depicts Fernando VII and the muses.
In 1899, a monument to the artist D. Velasquez was erected in front of the entrance to the building on a small square.
From the 200-meter-high facade of the central building, 2-storey galleries run perpendicular to it, connecting it with 2 pavilions. The first floor of the galleries is decorated with semicircular windows placed in deep niches, between which antique sculptures and vases are installed in the walls.
The piers are additionally decorated with medallions. The second floor of the galleries is made in the form of a series of Ionic columns supporting a classical entablature. The glazed space between the columns visually facilitates the buildings.
The entrance to the northern pavilion is decorated with a portico supported by 2 Ionic columns. The entrance has 2 tiers, a beautiful 3-private staircase leads to the second floor landing, built in 1882 by architect P. Otagno. A monument to F. Goya was erected in front of the entrance in 1902.
The southern pavilion overlooks Murillo Square, a monument to this artist was erected near the museum in 1871. The two-storey entrance group is decorated with 6 Corinthian columns, which are placed on the second floor. The ground floor is decorated with 3 arched vaults.
The museum building is made of light pink brick, the color of which is emphasized by corner trim, window frames and white columns. A number of elements are made of polished gray sandstone.
Over the course of 200 years, the building has been rebuilt several times, but the composition conceived by Villanueva has been preserved. The last changes took place in 2007, when the architect R. Moneo rebuilt the Jeronymous monastery adjacent to the museum and almost completely destroyed. The restored arcades of the monastery formed a courtyard covered with a glass roof.
Adjacent to the monastery is a new brick building in geometric style, harmoniously combined with the ancient monastery. The new building is decorated with wood, marble and granite, and underground galleries connect it with the monastery building and the main building of the museum.
The building, called the Moneo Cube, opened 4 rooms for temporary exhibitions, lecture halls, shops and restaurants. After the reconstruction, the museum area reached almost 60 thousand m2.
Historical facts
At the end of the XVIII century, the active development of Madrid began. King Charles III commissioned architect Juan de Villanueva to build a building on an empty meadow, which will house a collection of natural history.
The Spanish word “meadow”, “prado”, gave the name to the future museum. In 1785, construction began, but at the beginning of the XIX century. The Napoleonic Wars began in Europe, and the family of the Spanish monarch was removed from power.
Joseph Bonaparte, put at the head of Spain, issued a decree on the creation of a museum of painting, giving the Buenavista Palace for a temporary exhibition. At the same time, the construction of the Prado Museum continued, and by 1811 the work was almost completed.
However, Villanueva did not have time to see the result of his many years of work because of his death. In the unfinished building, French troops set up a stable and a powder magazine.
After the war with Napoleon, the monarchy in Spain was restored, and King Ferdinand VII decided to create an art gallery in the abandoned Prado Palace. Ferdinand VII donated some of the works of art belonging to the crown to the museum, and the opening ceremony took place in 1819.
At that time, the museum consisted of 3 halls accessible to the public, which opened 1 time a week. The museum’s collection consisted of about 1.5 thousand paintings, but only 300 paintings were exhibited.
The Prado has increased the number of exhibits over time. Some of the works of art were transferred to the museum from royal palaces and monasteries. The museum collection was also enriched by private donations, a large number of paintings were donated by Baron d’Erlanger and Duchess Pastrana.
The funds of the abolished art museum, which occupied the area of the Trinidad Monastery, were also transferred to the Prado.
New exhibition spaces were required for the expanded Prado collection, and in 1883 the building erected by Villanueva was rebuilt by architect F. Hareno y Alakorn, adding separate pavilions.
In 1912, a Board of Trustees was established at the museum, after which the reconstruction of the building began. In 1920, the Prado Museum received the status of a national museum.
For 4 years, starting in 1936, the art gallery was headed by P. Picasso, who managed to transfer most of the museum’s collection to Switzerland at the beginning of the war in 1939. This saved the Prado collection from being plundered.
After the war, the number of exhibits gradually increased, so in 1956 the Prado Museum was given the Buen Retiro Palace, built in the XVII century. like a ballroom. After the reconstruction, the facades of the palace were restored, and the museum received new exhibition spaces located underground.
In 2010, the Prado Museum acquired a free-standing wing of the Buen Retiro, called the Hall of the Kingdoms, or Salon de Reynos. The building was renovated in 2016.
Now the Prado Museum consists of 5 buildings located in one block and united by underground galleries:
- The main building, built by Villanueva;
- Buen Retiro;
- Salon de Reynos;
- Jeronimos Monastery with adjacent Moneo Cube;
- the administrative building.
The exhibition space occupies 45 thousand m2.
Interior
The Prado Museum has preserved the authentic interiors. Ceiling paintings have been restored in many halls of the Villanueva building. Murals and wall ornaments have been preserved in the Buen Retiro Palace and the Salon de Reynos. After the renovation, part of the exhibition space in Buen Retiro was equipped with light hoods.
In the Jeronimos Monastery, which is part of the museum complex, the first floor is a recreated arched gallery, complemented by glazing and recreation areas.
The works of art are placed on the walls, painted in calm tones, which does not interfere with the study and inspection. Marble floors have been preserved in many halls.
Expositions and themed halls
The Prado collection contains over 8.5 thousand works of pictorial art, of which about 1.3 thousand are on display, and about 1000 sculptures.
The collections are divided into 8 expositions:
| Thematic section | The period of creation of works of art | Characteristic |
| Spanish artists | XII-XV centuries. | The exhibition contains over 2 thousand paintings created by El Greco, Murillo, H. de Flandes. The museum owns an extensive collection of Velasquez’s works. The works of art reflect the diversity of genres of that time: religious painting, court, porter, still life, battle scenes are presented. |
| French and Italian masters | XV-XVII centuries. | The collection contains works by Italians Veronese, Caravaggio, Botticelli, Raphael, Tintoretto, as well as Frenchmen Poussin, Boucher, Watteau, Vernet. |
| Flemish artists | XVI-XVII centuries. | The museum owns the largest collection of Dutch masters, including Brueghel-art., Van Dyck, Rembrandt, der Weyden. Velasquez is represented by 90 canvases. |
| Masters of England, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, as well as Russia, America. | XVIII century . | The exhibition presents an extensive collection of works by F. Goya. |
| Paintings by European masters | XIX century . | Until 2007, the collection was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, and only in 2009 it was moved to the Prado Museum. |
| Engravings, drawings, photographs | XII-XXI centuries. | About 30 thousand exhibits are arranged by style, country, period. The Goya collection is considered the most important. |
| Sculpture | Since the era of antiquity | The collection contains examples of ancient Roman and Renaissance art. The collection contains about 1000 items. |
| Decorative and applied arts | The collection contains 3.5 thousand exhibits, including armor, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, porcelain, tapestries. |
On the ground floor, in halls No. 47-75, the works of such masters as Raphael, Durer, Brueghel are presented. In Hall No. 63 there is a collection of works by Rubens and his students, in total, over 70 paintings by the Dutch artist are collected in the Prado Museum. The sculptural works are on display in Hall No. 71.
The following artists are represented on the second floor in Halls 1-44:
- Poussin;
- Caravaggio;
- El Greco;
- Titian;
- Tintoretto;
- Rubens.
On the third floor, in halls No. 85-94, you can see cabinet paintings by Spanish masters.
The most interesting exhibits
The Prado Museum became the owner of the collection of King Philip II, including paintings by I. Bosch. The triptych depicting the garden of earthly delights, painted in 1510-1515, is placed in the main building in hall No. 56. A technological installation is installed next to the paintings, which allows you to examine in detail the complex composition and design of the work.
Besides Bosch, other Dutch artists are represented in the Prado Museum. One of the most remarkable paintings is considered to be the work of R. Van der Weyden’s “Descent from the Cross”, recognized as a canon for European art. The Prado houses the world’s largest collection of Rubens’ works, it includes 90 paintings. There are also works by Lucas Cranach-art., 4 paintings by Durer, P. Brueghel-art.
The museum’s collection contains 30 works by Velasquez, who was the court artist of Philip IV. Among Velasquez’s works, the paintings “Spinners” and “Menines” are distinguished.
A gift to the museum was a selection of “Gloomy paintings” by F. Goya, given by Baron d’Erlanger. In total, the museum has 8 paintings by Goya.
The masterpieces of European painting include the works of Titian, who created 7 paintings with ancient Greek mythological subjects for Philip II. The Prado Museum exhibits “Danae”, one of the best works of the master.
The works of El Greco invariably attract the attention of the public. The museum has 5 of his paintings, including “Christ Bearing the Cross” — the artist made 7 copies of this painting.
The sculpture collection includes almost 1000 items. The classical white marble figures depicting Pylades and Orestes, which were included in the royal collection, are recognized as the most ancient. The sculptural group was created in the Augustan era and discovered in 1623 in a Roman villa.
The pride of the museum is a group depicting Charles V and Philip II in bronze. This work was created by the sculptor L. Leonie. The Prado houses a collection of sculptural portraits of the kings of Spain of the XVII-XVIII centuries, made by Vaccaro, Foggini, Cubero.
In the Northern Courtyard of the main building, a separate room is reserved for 20 bas-reliefs created in ancient times. The bas-reliefs depict emperors, but the identification of the characters was not carried out.
On the second floor, in Hall No. 79 of the main building, there is a collection that has become famous under the name “Prince’s Treasure”. The collection includes 144 exhibits representing dishes carved from rock crystal and stone and placed in original cases.
The collection was started by Louis of France in the XVII century. An installation has been installed in the hall, which allows you to get complete information about the value of the meeting through audiovisual and digital content.
Frescoes from the Maderuelo chapel and the temple of San Baudelio de Berlanga, transferred from the walls to canvases, are unique. The Prado presents works by P. Picasso, including “Guernica” and sketches for it.
Excursion programs
The Prado Museum invites visitors to explore the artistic treasures accompanied by a guide. Group group tours last 1.5 hours, during which time visitors are introduced to the best examples of painting and sculpture.
Guided tours in French are held at 11 a.m., in English at 11 and 13 p.m. From 10.30 a.m. to 17 p.m. tour groups with a Spanish-speaking guide are recruited. It is forbidden to take photos in the museum.
There are 3 routes for exploring the masterpieces of the Prado Museum on your own:
- The one-hour route includes a tour of 15 works, including works by Goya, Titian, El Greco, Raphael;
- The 2-hour route allows you to see 30 masterpieces, including Velasquez, Tintoretto, Messina;
- A guided tour of 23 works that draw attention to the landscapes and sights of Madrid.
Maps for free self-guided tours are available for download on the website.
Ticket prices
The entrance ticket includes a tour of permanent and temporary exhibitions. A full ticket costs 15 €, for large families, pensioners, and youth card holders, a discounted ticket is provided at a price of 7.5 €.
Visit the museum for free Prado can:
- children under 18 years of age;
- students under 25 years of age;
- people with disabilities;
- the unemployed.
Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by adults. The museum has hours for free admission: on weekdays you can walk from 18 to 20 hours, on Sundays from 17 to 19 hours.
The cost of the audio guide is 5 €. The audio guide includes explanations of 250 works in 15 languages.
A guided tour requires an additional fee of 10 €. Those who wish to receive a guide to the museum pay an additional € 9.
Tourists can purchase a package ticket to visit 3 museums (Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia) for 1 year. The cost of such a ticket is 32 €.
An individual visit is possible every day from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. A visit before the opening of the museum requires a guide, the ticket price is 54 €.
Operating mode
The Prado Museum is open every day from 10 a.m. From Monday to Saturday, the museum is open until 20 hours, on Sundays and holidays until 19 hours. The museum is closed on December 25, January 1 and May 1. On Christmas Day, as well as on December 31 and January 6, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The ticket offices stop working half an hour before closing time.
There are information points and dressing rooms at the entrances, where you can get a wheelchair or a baby stroller for free. Cafes, a restaurant and souvenir shops are open in the Ionian Gallery and the Moneo Cube.
Address, contact details
The museum is located in the center of Madrid at Calle Ruiz de Alarcon, 23. The phone number of the visitor center is +34 910 68-30-01.
The main entrance to the museum is located in the north Goya Pavilion on Felipe IV Street. School and excursion groups pass from Murillo Square.
How to get
The nearest bus stop is located 60 m from the National Museum and is called the Prado Museum-Botanical Garden. The Alfonso XII and Prado Atocha stops are 250-350 m away. You can get from different areas of Madrid by bus № 001, 10, 14, 27, 34, 37, 45, C03.
If you use the metro, you will need to take the blue line No. 1 to the Estacion del Arte station or the red line No. 2 to the Banco Espana station. The exits from the subway are located 650-800 m from the entrance to the museum.
Atocha railway station is located at a distance of 1 km from the museum complex, where passengers are transported by regional trains C1-C5, C7, C8, C10. Free car parking is located on Plaza de las Cortes.
Priceless masterpieces displayed in the halls of the Prado Museum attract thousands of tourists. It is impossible to visit Madrid and not visit the national art treasury. This museum has the world’s largest collection of Spanish paintings, consisting of 2,800 works that were created during the XII — early XIX centuries.
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