Madrid’s museums hold an impressive collection of masterpieces, ranging from ancient to contemporary art. The two most important national museums are the Prado and the Reina Sofia.
 El Museo del Prado has the most complete collection of Spanish painting from the 11th to the 18th centuries, and many masterpieces by universal artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Tiziano, Van Dyck, and Rembrandt. The quality and variety of its collection make the Prado Museum one of the world's finest. It brings together the best collection of Spanish painting, the most important works of Flemish and Italian painting, and noteworthy examples of the German, French, and English schools. Here you can admire masterpieces of universal art such as Velázquez's "Maids of Honour", Goya's "Majas", El Greco's "Nobleman with a Hand on His Chest", Bosch's "Garden of Delights", and Rubens' "The Three Graces", among other priceless pieces. |
 El Museo Reina Sofia is Spain’s second most important national museum. When space became a problem for the collections of the Museo del Prado, the government divided its holdings, sending those produced after 1881 (Picasso’s birth date) to the Reina Sofia, which opened as a museum in 1992. Since then, the museum has continued to grow into one of Europe’s most important museums of modern and contemporary art. The permanent collection includes an important number of works bequeathed to the Museum by Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. Highlights of its collections include Picasso’s Guernica and representative works of modernism, cubism, surrealism, Spanish formalism, abstraction, and other neo-avant-garde movements like pop and minimalism. |
El Museo Thyseen-Bornemisza contains one of the most important private collections of paintings in the world. For several generations, the family collected a large number of works that today are exhibited in this museum. This museum is the perfect complement to the Prado and Reina Sofía museums, because it bridges the gaps in their respective collections. There are splendid works, dating from the 14th century up to modern and contemporary art, including an important collection of German expressionism from the first half of the 20th century. This is a wonderful place to experience the history of western art from the Middle Ages to the contemporary art world, passing through the different movements and ‘isms’ of modern art. Since 2004 the museum also houses the collection Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, enriching the holdings of its collections. |
 El Museo Sorolla This small and quaint museum is located in what was once Sorolla's residence and art studio. An elegant ‘Palacete’ built in 1911, the building is surrounded by beautiful gardens designed by Sorolla, and offers an intimate insight into the life and work of this talented and prolific artist. Active at the turn of the century, Sorolla became prominent during Spain’s Belle Epoque. His mastery of color and interest in light made him an heir of the impressionists, but he developed his own ‘luminist style’ which brought him international recognition. His best known works include portraits, seascapes, and everyday life in his native Valencia. Besides these, the museum’s collections also include sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, old photographs, and an important archive with his private correspondence. |
