Prado Museum

Why the Prado Museum is special
The Prado Museum in Madrid houses one of the world's finest collections of European classical paintings.

Prado Museum tips and insights
Artworks
The Prado Museum has a full range of artworks, including sculptures. However, its crowning splendor is its 12th to early 19th century European paintings.

Collections
Its Italian and Flemish collections are outstanding, but the Spanish assemblage shines brightest. This is particularly true in the works of Velasquez, Goya and El Greco.

Maids of Honor
This is Velasquez's and the museum's most famous painting (see photo). The young Princess Margarita is the centerpiece. She is looking at her parents, the king and queen, who are modeling for the artist Velasquez (you can see him working behind the large easel). You cannot see the royal couple directly because they are positioned where you the viewer are. Their image is reflected in the framed mirror on the far wall, directly to the right of Velasquez.

El Greco
His masterpieces in the Prado Museum include The Adoration of the Magi.

Goya
He is the strongest visitor magnet. His emotional Third of May painting is immensely admired.

Avoid the crowds
Waiting lines can be long outside and gallery spaces crowded inside. The time to come is between 12 to 2 p.m. when most people are eating or enjoying their siestas.

How to pronounce
Prado: prah'-doh.

What Prado means in Spanish
Prado means meadow in Spanish (centuries ago there was a meadow in the area).

Flemish art treasures
They include the Garden of Earthly Delights (by Bosch) and The Three Graces (by Rubens).

Space limitation
Despite the fact that the Prado Museum is large, it has sufficient space to display just one-sixth of all its 8,000+ paintings at one time. They have to be rotated.

Location in Spain