Precious Gems Discovered in Madrid.

If any of you have ever been to Madrid, you have no doubt visited what some call the Golden Triangle of Art. There is, however, much more than what guidebooks recommend as far as dives into the artistic realm are concerned. From varied exhibitions, galleries and national museums, Spain is lucky to have assembled some of the best works of in the history of art, and altogether provides us curious visitors with a most gratifying variety of cultural abundance.

The Spanish Capital is an enchanting place to discover the best of the Spanish masters such as some unforgettable Velazquez’s (Las Meninas) and El Greco (The Adoration of the Sheperds), located in the Prado , Madrid´s answer to the Louvre. For some exceptional canvases by the likes of Holbein (Portrait of Henry III), to Rembrandt (Self Portrait), to Degas (Swaying Dancer) and finally to Lichtenstein (Girl in the Bath), it’s the Thyssen Collection which you should rush to. For the contemporary art lovers, the Reina Sofia is the best in Spain, but French and English nationals accustomed to the likes of the Pompidou or the Tate Modern should beware, this is by far inferior. It contains some pertinent Miró’s (Portrait II) and Dalí’s (The Great Masturbator), but the rest of the collection remains to be desired. By far the most audacious and powerful masterpiece there is Guernica, one of Picasso’s most famous works painted in the midst of the Civil War as a fierce commentary on the horror of war.

Guernica- Pablo Picasso

Las Meninas- Diego Velazquez

Apart from this wonderful array of prestigious art in Madrid, I’d like to draw your attention to a few other finds that I made whilst strolling through the city’s delightful streets (many of which are undergoing renovation at the moment as an effort to boost the city’s appeal for the 2012 Olympic bid). Firstly, The Royal Palace is outstanding in its grandeur. I would go as far as saying it is on par with some of the magnificent palaces in Europe such as le Chateaux de Versailles and the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Even though it looks smaller than both of them, it still contains an impressive 2800 rooms, only 20 of which were once occupied by the Royal Family in the late 18th Century. The other rooms were for servants, kitchen, pharmacies, bakeries and much more. It exudes luxury and refined elements, with crystal chandeliers covering the Italian decorated walls, splendid satin furniture and marble clocks gracing every corner. The mirrors add to the opulence of the palace, reflecting the light emitted by the chandeliers making the rooms look endless. The most extravagant room is the Throne Room which contains the two gold thrones surrounded by four huge lions. These thrones are now just symbols of the monarchy and are not in use, as the King of Spain, with whom I’ve had the pleasure to shake hands, no longer has absolute power. On the ceiling of this room, covered in red velvet tapestries and all the gold one could make in a generation, is the stupendous fresco by Giovanni Batista Tiepolo, which he made at the age of 68, an age where most people at the time would have been long gone. It took him seven years to complete and was most probably executed with him on a ladder, bent over backwards, reaching to provide the walls with as much detail as he could. The result is exquisite and recalls Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel.

Palacio Real- Madrid

Another place I thoroughly enjoyed whilst in Madrid was the Fine Arts Museum. Situated in the spectacular Goyeneche Palace, a finely restored and remodelled Baroque building from the 17th Century, it hosts a small but most exquisite collection by some of the world’s most renowned artists. My favourite pieces were works by Van Dycks and Rubens, and of course there are some disturbing Goyas from his black paintings, one of which, The Madhouse, still haunts me now. In fact, it was Goya’s tomb that surprised me the most, located in a tiny and beautiful church called the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida, twenty minutes walk from the centre. This church, displays some of Goya’s best technique of his entire career. Similarly to Tiepolo, he decorated the domed ceiling of the church with frescoes, although he succeeded in doing it in less than four months. It’s such a small church, it’s very hard to photograph the frescoes and the details are so miniscule it would be hard to do it justice with a camera, but it’s really very special. The church was painted just after Goya became deaf in 1798 and his subsequent depression and alienation from the injustice of war comes through in the art, seemingly morbid in the tone, colour scheme, and hostile interactions between the figures. In contrast to Tiepolo’s ceilings though, the paint is much more loosely applied, with silver flickers and a loss of lines. It shows a leap in his work, one that would later categorise the Romantic Movement.

Frescoes by Francisco Goya at the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida

Lastly, I’d like to mention the Fundacion Lazario Galdiano. I was recommended this collection by a Spanish Woman who assured me it would be well worth the journey. I went with small expectations, unsure what I would be seeing exactly. I entered a magnificient house complete with the most extensive private collections I had laid my eyes on in a while. The man in question, Mr Galdiano (1862-1947), was a very wealthy society man with a penchant for aesthetics and art who decided to invest in important works ranging from the 14th Century Spanish Art to 19th Century English art. The collection, hosted in his discerning neo-classical home, contains some truly splendid pieces such as grotesque witches by Goya (once again belonging to the Black Paintings), some delicate and very detailed Velazquez work and a miniscule and gloriously ethereal Leonardo da Vinci, El Salvador, which was my favourite. I was also treated to some striking Flemish Art from the 16th Century including one Brueghel , The Animals Embark Noah’s Ark, which caught my attention depicting Noah about to embark on a journey with all the animals surrounding him, just perfection. In addition to the paintings are pieces of jewellery which the man kindly brought his wife, with some extravagant diamond tiaras, ruby brooches and pearl hair pins included. The collection also boasts one of Europe’s finest miniature painting collections, which Mr Galdiano loved to purchase. They are extraordinarily fragile and ornate given their size and are a joy to look at. I also had the chance of being alone in the gallery on a Sunday, making my visit all the more magical.

If this hasn’t convinced you that Madrid has a wealth of treasure chests, I don’t know what will. Enjoy this sensational capital and share your discoveries with the sparkling locals who will adore hearing about your enthusiasm for their town. The buoyant ambience in the calles, welcoming atmosphere of the Tapas places, and ambitious hours of the nightlife all concord to provide an insouciant Madrilanean lifestyle, which is unique in its kind. I can only hope that when I next visit a town, I’ll be graced with equally sweet encounters.