Art Museums

The Museo del Prado is the most important museum in Madrid and the most visited in Spain, as it currently houses the largest collection of Spanish paintings in the world. Located on Paseo de Prado, it is one of the best art galleries in the world and accommodates masterpieces of Spanish, Italian, French, Flemish and Dutch painting, among others.

Since it was inaugurated in 1819 and throughout its centuries-old history, it has fulfilled the high mission of preserving, exhibiting and enriching the set of collections and works of art closely linked to the history of Spain. The collection of the Prado Museum, as such, predates the creation of the museum in 1819 (the Prado Museum celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2019) and constitutes the personal art collection of the kings of Spain since the Catholic Monarchs. Works of art were accumulated in the royal palaces in Spain for 300 years and this is how this exquisite and select collection began.

This great museum is one of the most popular and recognized places in the art world, with over 3 million annual visitors and an online presence that exceeds 10 million.

The great names of European painting in general, with the Italian and Flemish schools especially, are represented here by a large number of their masterpieces, which make the Prado Museum one of the essential places in Madrid.

"Las Meninas" by Velázquez, "The Executions of May 2nd" by Goya or "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch are some of the thousands of relevant paintings that you will find in the Prado Museum, in addition to the temporary exhibitions which they always have. You will need several days to see it all and enjoy it properly!

To plan your visit, you will find valuable advice on the museum's website: activities of the day, tours, featured works, download of free apps (Guía del Prado and Second Canvas) and much more at: https://www.museodelprado.es

The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum stands as one of the most important art galleries in the world. Its vast collection, with over 1,200 masterpieces, the result of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family's collecting passion over seven centuries, offers a fascinating journey through the history of Western art, from the Italian primitives to the avant-gardes of the 20th century.

Its existence is due to the lease agreement reached in 1988 and the acquisition by the Spanish government in 1993, collecting the most valuable nucleus of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family's private collection.

The museum was born to reinforce the artistic offer of the area and to fill the gaps (chronological and stylistic) left by the collections of the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum. The collection is one of the richest and most varied of Western painting. Acquired by the Spanish State in 1993 and of private origin, its encyclopedic character makes it a true synthesis of Western painting with the presence of most of the styles of European and American art between the 14th and 20th centuries.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum believes in the power of art to enrich people, enhance their creativity and critical thinking, and improve their quality of life. The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum also proposes to be a benchmark on the international cultural scene and to occupy a place in the collective imagination thanks to the richness of its collection and the quality of the activities organized around it.

You can find works by El Greco, Albrecht Dürer or Duccio di Buoninsegna in one of the best museums in Madrid and located very close to the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum.

With three floors, the museum covers the history of Western painting from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism, Pop Art... are represented in the almost 1,000 works on display.

To see all the information about the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions: Museo Thyssen https://www.museothyssen.org/en

The Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum is an international reference center for modern and contemporary art and forms, together with the Prado Museum and the Thyssen-Bornesmiza Museum, the Art Triangle.

It opened its doors in 1990 with the intention of reflecting Spanish artistic contemporaneity in relation to the international context. Its collections are made up of more than 23,000 works made between the end of the 19th century and the present and house one of the jewels of the art world: Picasso's Guernica. You can also find the best works by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró or Hermen Anglada Camarasa.

The Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum is located in the Old Hospital of San Carlos in the vicinity of the Emperador Carlos V Square. Located in the heart of the capital, it is committed to encouraging collective reflection and dialogue, and serving as a tool to face the complex challenges that affect us. The intention of this space is for us to participate in this exercise of reading the past 20th century with the eyes of the present so that it gives us back the image of a bastard, multiple, complex and heterogeneous modernity.

Its permanent collection was inaugurated in 1992. In chronological terms, this collection is considered an extension of that of the Prado Museum, since it covers the period from the 19th century to the present. Spread over three floors, the permanent collection shows the first contacts of Spanish modernity with Europe, through artists such as Hermenegildo Anglada-Camarasa, Ignacio Zuloaga or Francisco Rubio, to the contribution of the Cubist and Surrealist movements with Picasso, Miró, Dalí , Juan Gris, María Blanchard...or its repercussions on the so-called School of Paris. The reunion in the 1940s with this avant-garde spirit and the prominence that abstract movements assumed in the 1950s and 1960s conclude this historical journey.

An authentic palace-house that still preserves the same decoration of the residence of the Marquis of Cerralbo from the 17th century. The furniture typical of an aristocratic family predominates, distributed in living rooms and bedrooms.

The Cerralbo Museum is one of those museums that are on the list of becoming your favorites, but that few people know about. Located in a central and beautiful 17th century palace, the Cerralbo Museum houses a unique and complete collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glass, tapestries, furniture, coins, medals, drawings, prints, clocks, weapons, archaeological pieces and much more of objects that the Marquis of Cerralbo and his family collected throughout their lives.

Thus, this center shows in its rooms the original decorative setting typical of an aristocratic residence from the late 19th century, thoroughly recovered in the first decade of the 21st century. The Museum also offers an extensive program of cultural activities.

Your visit will invite you to discover what life in the city was like at that time, with literary gatherings, dances, salon confidences, etc. One of the most important museums in the city, which despite not being as well known as the Prado Museum or the Thyssen Museum, you will like as much as these.

To make the most of your visit, you have the official website.

Located in the Salamanca neighborhood, the Museum houses a large collection of works assembled by the editor José Lázaro Galdiano. It exhibits authors such as Goya, Hieronymus Bosch and Zurbarán, as well as weapons, medals and ceramics of great value.

The Lázaro Galdiano Museum opened its doors to the public on January 27, 1951 and its inauguration was a pleasant surprise for the public and professionals related to culture, both due to the richness and variety of the collections, as well as the innovative museography used for its exposure.

Inside you will find works by Hieronymus Bosch, Velázquez and Goya, among other great artists, as well as an interesting collection of miniatures, armor, jewelry, sculptures, drawings, etc. A very complete option in the center of Madrid.

The museum also has a cell phone application to access multimedia guides, with free and paid options. You will find more information about the visit at: www.flg.es/your-visit-to-the-museo-lazaro-galdiano

Located in the Chamberí district, in what was the residence and studio of the painter, it was created at the request of Joaquín Sorolla's widow, who bequeathed her assets to the state for the foundation of a museum in memory of her husband. The museum houses the majority of the objects that Joaquín Sorolla gathered during his lifetime. The artist's work predominates, both in painting and drawing, making it the most extensive and representative collection preserved.

It is the house-studio where Joaquín Sorolla lived until the end of his days, donated to the state by his widow, Clotilde García, and inaugurated as a museum in 1932. This Sorolla house-museum was built between 1910 and 1911 and was occupied by the artist and his family at the end of the year.

In the museum, you will find most of the objects Sorolla collected in his lifetime, as well as the majority of his outstanding paintings: "Swimmers," "Stroll by the Sea," "The Siesta," "The Child with the Boat"... You will also find a variety of works acquired by the Spanish State.

The museum's mission is the conservation and public exhibition of authentic works executed by Sorolla, as well as any paintings, art objects, furniture, etc., existing in house 37 on Paseo del General Martínez Campos, and those acquired in the future for said museum. The works collected here come from donations made by his wife and children to the Spanish State to create the museum, and were further augmented in 1951 with the donation of all his assets by Sorolla's son, Joaquín Sorolla García.

In the house-museum, you can see the three gardens, Sorolla's workspace, and the family's living area.

The Museum of Romanticism, housed in a 19th-century building in the heart of Madrid, offers a fascinating window into the life and culture of the Romantic period in Spain (1833-1868). Through its rich collection of works of art, historical objects and period furniture, the museum transports you to an era of contrasts, where passion, imagination and individualism flourished alongside the turbulent social and political realities of the time.

The museum houses a notable collection of Spanish romantic painting, with works by artists such as Antonio Gisbert, José de Madrazo, Francisco Pradilla Ortiz and Federico de Madrazo. These works capture the essence of Romanticism, with their dramatic themes, evocative landscapes, and emotionally charged portraits.

The sculpture collection includes pieces by prominent artists such as Piquer y Pellicer, Gutiérrez de la Vega and José Álvarez Cubero. These sculptures represent heroic figures, mythological scenes and allegories, reflecting the ideals and values of Romanticism.

The museum has a wide collection of decorative arts, such as porcelain, tapestries, fans and furniture. These pieces offer a valuable perspective on the daily life and aesthetic taste of the Romantic era. In addition, it preserves an important collection of historical documents, such as letters, diaries and manuscripts. These documents provide first-hand information about the political, social and cultural events of romantic Spain.

Located in Buitrago de Lozoya, the Picasso Museum houses a unique collection based on the friendship between two Spanish exiles: the artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso and his hairdresser Eugenio Arias. The collection was donated by Eugenio Arias to the Provincial Council of Madrid in 1982.

This peculiar collection, made up of 75 pieces, comes from the works that Picasso gave to his friend and confidant as a token of his affection. Picasso's barber wanted the collection to remain in his homeland, Buitrago del Lozoya, giving up his collection to create a space dedicated to Picasso. This collection, of a very varied nature, brings together drawings, graphic works, ceramics, posters, dedicated books and other unique items such as a pyrographed box of hairdressing tools. A perfect plan if you decide to visit one of the most beautiful towns in the Community of Madrid and visit the only museum dedicated to art and friendship.

The Alcorcón Glass Art Museum (MAVA) is a hidden gem for contemporary art lovers. Located in the Castillo Grande de Valderas, this museum immerses us in a universe of color and light, where glass is transformed into a creative tool without limits.

The MAVA was born in 1997 thanks to the initiative of the sculptor Javier Gómez, who dreamed of creating a space dedicated to showcasing the infinite possibilities of glass in contemporary art. His vision became a reality thanks to the generosity of collectors such as Takako Sano and Aldo Bellini, who donated part of their collections to the museum.

The MAVA's permanent collection is made up of more than 200 works by artists from around the world. Sculptures, installations and artistic objects created with glass in all its forms: blown, cast, flat... Each piece is a masterpiece that invites us to reflect on light, transparency and fragility.

The MAVA is not only a museum, but also a center for experimentation and creation. Through workshops, conferences and temporary exhibitions, the museum encourages research and innovation in the field of glass. In addition, the educational workshop equipped with melting furnaces allows visitors to discover the secrets of this fascinating material.