Art and Social Transformations in Spain – an exhibition

In the late 1800s, Spain went through big changes in society. It was a time of lots of changes and problems. This period saw workers asking for better conditions and Spain losing its colonies overseas. Paintings during this time started to show themes that affected all social classes. Artists started to focus on everyday life, similar to how realistic novels did. Luis Jiménez Aranda’s work, “A Hospital Room during the Visit of the Chief Doctor,” got a Medal of Honor at a big art show in Paris, and Spanish artists like Joaquín Sorolla talked about these issues. Some artists, like Darío de Regoyos, Isidro Nonell, and Pablo Picasso, tried to express themselves more, but they weren’t popular with the government. They were part of a new, modern style happening in Paris and other European cities. This period also saw changes in sculpture and other types of art.

In Spain, unlike in other European countries, there haven’t been specific art shows focusing on naturalism, even though it’s been an important style. This exhibition will be the first to explore this topic by showing relevant but lesser-known artworks, including drawings, photos, and films.

The National Exhibitions of Fine Arts were where painters displayed their big social paintings. The government bought many of the awarded works for the Prado Museum until 1894, and later for the Museum of Modern Art (which merged with the Prado in 1971). So, these museums have the most important collection of artworks on this theme, including some sculptures.

Art and Social Transformations in Spain

  • Location: Prado Museum
  • Dates: May 21, 2024 – September 22, 2024

What is the goal of the exhibition?

The exhibition aims to study, explain, and share the significance of changes in Spanish art, which happened because of changes in Spanish society during a crucial time in its history. It will be the first time the public can see how art played a role in changing Spanish society during that time. Art explored new topics and showed what life was like back then, highlighting important aspects that hadn’t been talked about before.


You can read more about other exhibitions, concerts, events, and interesting programs in Madrid in our Madrid calendar. If you want to read more about the popular attractions in Madrid, or get ideas for cool activities, look around here in our Madrid Guide.

12 modern photographers in the Prado Museum!

The Prado Museum is one of the leading art museums in the entire world. They host some of the most famous paintings, and it is one of the museums you just have to visit if you ever get to Madrid.

From September 21st till January 13th (2019), they will host a very interesting exhibition named the Twelve Photographers. This is a temporary exhibition, meaning that you will have to pay to enter, even if you should visit the museum during a “free period.” But, the exhibition is well worth the money. What is the exhibition really about?

12 modern photographers have made some exceptional works, based on what they have seen, experienced and felt inside the Prado Museum. The photos are therefore inspired by the actual works you can see inside the museum, but with a brand new touch of the modern man.

12 photographers in Prado

This is just a magnificent piece of art, isn’t it? – Source

Look at the picture above! This has got to be a great exhibition.

The picture above is an example of what you can see if you decide to check out this temporary exhibition in the Prado Museum in Madrid. The coolest is, of course, if you can see where the actual photographer has been inspired to create parts of the different photographers (meaning you recognize other paintings or parts of the museum in the paintings). But, if you are a layman when it comes to art, then these photos are so amazing, that you will enjoy them even if you have no clue about the surroundings that inspired the photos in the Prado museum.

Have you been inspired to pay Madrid a visit? The exhibition will open on September 21st and remain available until January 13th in 2019.

For more information on other events and happening in Madrid, check the following link. Do not forget to follow @worldcityguides on Steemit for updated articles, not only from Madrid but from big cities all across Europe!

Enjoy your stay in Madrid!

When can I visit the Prado museum for free

I have heard that it is free to visit the Prado museum on Thursday evenings. Is that so? Can you please give me information on when I can get free entrance to the museum?

The Prado museum in Madrid is one of the most famous art museums in the world. It has a fantastic permanent exhibition, and some very interesting temporary exhibitions at all times. That makes the Prado museum one of your “have-to-visit” places during your stay in Madrid. But, if you find the 15 Euro entrance fee to be a lot, then it might sound better to visit the museum for free. But, when can you visit the Prado museum for free?

Prado museum in Madrid for free

Let us just warn you that during the free hours at the museum it is quite packed. You will, in other words, be disturbed by large crowds, meaning that if you dream of studying a masterpiece in quietness and piece, then you should pay the entrance fee and visit the museum during the daytime instead. The entrance fee is normally 15 Euro which will give you access to both the permanent and the temporary exhibitions.

When is the Prado museum open?

The Prado museum is open from 10.00 till 20.00 from Monday till Saturday, and from 10.00 till 19.00 on Sundays and other special days. The museum is closed on January 1st, May 1st and on December 25th. It has shortened opening times on January 6th, December 24th and December 31st (10.00-14.00).

When is the Prado museum free to enter?

If you want to visit the Prado museum without paying you will have to visit the Prado museum in the following timeframe:

Monday – Saturday: From 18.00 to 20.00
Sundays: Fram 17.00 to 19.00

We hope you will have a delightful stay at the Prado museum. For more information about the museum and temporary exhibitions, check this article.

Rubens oil sketches [Exhibition]

Rubens is the most important artist in Europe when it comes to oil sketches. Few other artists have left behind oil sketches, while Rubens has left behind more than 450 pieces. 

Rubens in Prado

In this interesting exhibition, which is a cooperation between the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, you will be able to 82 oil sketches and around 20 drawings made by the hand of Rubens. The paintings are there to help bring the context to the oil sketches and will make this a fantastic exhibition.

The exhibition will have its premiere on April 10th in the Prado Museum and will be on display until August 5th. After that, the exhibition will be moved to Rotterdam and it will be on display in the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum.

The price for this exhibition, which will also give you access to the permanent exhibition in the Prado Museum is 15 Euro for an adult.

Would you like to know more about Madrid and what the city has to offer, look around in our Madrid Guide!

Portrait of Philip III in the Prado museum

For the first time in history the painting Portrait of Philip III by Velázquez is on display in the Prado Museum in Madrid. You can take a look at the picture yourself in the period from June 6th till October 29th.

The painting named Portrait of Philip III has been given to the Prado museum for a short while, so hurry up while it can still be seen. The painting will be portrayed next to Philip II offering the Infante don Fernando to Victory, another famous painting in the Prado museum in Madrid.

Prado museum

This is not part of a temporary exhibition, this is simply a temporary painting that you can discover on your visit to the Prado museum. Want to know more about the Prado museum in Madrid? You can read more about the museum right here.

For more information about the attractions in Madrid, restaurants in Madrid, activities and other programs in Madrid, read around in our Madrid Guide.

Exhibition from the Kunstmuseum Basel

Picasso in PradoAn overall exhibition will be shown at the Museo del Prado in Madrid on Picasso during the spring and the summer of 2015. The exhibition will show the most breathtaking pictures of Picasso from the collection of the Kunstmuseum Basel.

Pablo Picasso is a Spanish painter, sculpture, printmaker and ceramicist who was born in 1881 and he died in 1973. Picasso is one of the most famous and most inspiring artists of the 20th century who had a great impact on the upcoming generations. At the exhibition visitors will have the chance to discover more on the works of the artist. The exhibition on Picasso presents 10 masterpieces of the artist from the collection of the Kunstmuseum Basel along side with some the Museo del Prado own pieces. The paintings shown at the exhibition are from 1906 to 1967. The exhibition on the 20th century most influential artist will be shown at the Museo del Prado at the Central Gallery in the Villanueva Building. The exhibition will be on display from 18th March to 14th September 2015.

Museo del Prado
Paseo del Prado, s/n, 28014 Madrid, Spain

For more information on the museum and the exhibition check the following site.

Goya exhibition in Madrid

Goya MadridThe exhibition presents the best art works of the Spanish painter Goya. Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter and printmaker. He was one of the most influential and most outstanding romantic painters and his art works and style had a massive affect on other painters as well.

The museum shows a big collection of art works from Goya and other paintings from the 18th century. The exhibition is focused on tapestry cartoons of Goya alongside with multiple other paintings from different painters from his time or even earlier. At the exhibition visitors will have the chance to get to know one of the most popular Spanish painters of all time and to have an inside look in the life back then. Through the pictures which are on display in the museum visitors will have the chance to discover and explore Goya’s artworks and unique techniques. The exhibition will reveal through his cartoons the uniqueness of his work and visitors will understand how and why he is one of the most influential painters of this period of time. The exhibition of Goya will be displayed at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. It will be shown at the museum from 28th November 2014 until 3rd May 2015.

If you want to know more information on the exhibition and the museum check the official site.

El Greco in the Prado Museum

The Museo del Prado is the main national museum of Madrid and it is among one of the best museums of art. It has a great collection of the European art from the 12th century until the 19th century. The museum gives home for other art works as well like sculptures and drawings. The collection is based on the formal Spanish Royal Collection.

El Greco

El GrecoIn the last third of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century the rediscovery of El Greco had a great influence on many painters and also had a very important development on painting. El Greco’s work also had a big part in the spread of Cubism through the works of Derain, Modigliani and the Czech avant-garde. He had also big effect on Picasso’s art work who considered him one of the most outstanding painters ever. The first exhibition of El Greco’s art work was in the Museo del Prado in 1902. The Laocoön or his other famous work the Toledan landscapes were inspiring many artists like Ignacio Zuloaga who painted several landscapes of Toleda too, but El Greco had a big impact on Henry Moore as well who was inspired by the Vision of Saint John.

If you want to know more about El Greco’s work or you are interested in more exhibitions visit the official site and check for more information about the museum.

The exhibition will be on display until October 5th, 2014.

Spanish Drawings from the British Museum

When somebody travel to the capital of Spain, the city what laid on the Mezeta, to Madrid, there are several interesting programs on the whole year. In the Mediterranean city it worth to see the amazing buildings, like the Plaza Real or the San Francisco el Grande Church, the city’s most famous center, the Puerta del Sol and the most famous museums, for example the Museo del Prado.

The Prado Museum is the national museum of Madrid, where there are great permanent and temporary exhibitions all the time. One of these fantastic exhibitions the “Spanish Drawings from the British Museum”, what shows 200 pictures from the 16th century to the 20th century, and it can be seen between 20 March 2013 and 16 June 2013. Drawings of renaissance artists, works of creators from Spain and other nations, for example from Italy, and the famous Spanish painter, Francisco de Goya’s masterpieces. The creators of the exhibited pictures for example Alonso Berruguete, Spanish painter from the 16th century, Vicente Carducho and Alonso Cano, Madrid artists from the 17th century, José Camarón from the 18th century, and naturally the already mentioned Goya.

Do not miss this memorable exhibition in the Prado Museum between 20 March 2013 and 16 June 2013 in the capital of Spain, Madrid. If you like arts and you are curious about the works of four centuries; this exhibition is just for you! Have a great time!

Spanish Drawings from the British Museum
March 20th – June 16th
Prado Museum

Juan Fernández el Labrador exhibition at the Prado Museum

Maybe not everyone knows the famous Spanish painter, Juan Fernández el Labrador’s name, but he left back beautiful masterpieces from the 17th century. He was known as “El Labrador”. The baroque painter worked between 1629 and 1636, and he was mostly known because of his still life works. Are you curious about the artist’s most beautiful works? Than read this article, because you can know more about the next exhibition.

In the Prado Museum in Madrid people can see a fantastic exhibition of the works of El Labrador between 12 March 2013 and 16 June 2013. The beautiful still life works charm everybody, so it doesn’t matter if visitors don’t know the artist.

Tourists, who travel to Madrid, want to see the central square of the Spanish’s capital, the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza de Oriente with the Palacio Real and the Catedral de la Almudena, and naturally the Spanish national museum, the Prado Museum. Moreover, those, who visit to the Prado, can see the still life works of El Labrador, which could be a fantastic experience. If you are one of the lucky tourists, who can spend some days in the capital of Spain until 16 June, do not miss the listed program opportunities, especially the exhibition of Juan Fernández el Labrador’s works. If you adore arts and culture, and you mostly like still life, than this is a program for you!

Juan Fernández el Labrador exhibition
Prado Museum
March 12th – June 16th