This museum is as old as modern Singapore. Founded in 1819 (around the same time Raffles founded Singapore and set up a British East India Company outpost here), the Prado, as it is affectionately referred to, is one of the best art galleries in the world for study of the Spanish Masters.
The Museo del Prado opened to the public on 19 November 1819 as Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture. For slightly more for the entrance fee that you pay, you get a very nice souvenir guide to the museum that you can collect with your ticket stub at the Museum Shop. Unfortunately I lost the ticket stub, but it was a comprehensive book on the entire collection on display.
Right at the entrance next the check-in counter is the bronze statue of Emperor Carlos V. Commissioned by the King himself, it was made by the renowned sculptors Leone Leoni (Arezzo, Italy 1509 – Milan 1590) and Pompeo Leoni (Milan 1533 – Madrid 1608).
The art pieces are divided into different sections grouped by the period and masters. Everyone moved quietly and admired the paintings with respect. The museum has a strict rule about tour groups, so you would not find rowdy groups of tourists shuffling around.
There’s only one exception. There were multiple school groups on excursion and given live art lessons among the masters. If only our excursions back in school were like these.
Students of art were allowed to setup canvas and imitate/learn the brush strokes of the masters.
The museum does not allow photos be taken so these are just a few precious shots of the place taken without flash.
In my opinion, this unbelievable marble statue by Camillo Torreggiani [1819-1896] of Isabel II veiled is by far the most beautiful sculpture I have seen. Seeing it in real life, you can almost swear the veil was made of lace, but it isn’t. The special effect of the marble is achieved from the way the sculptor let the light and shadows play tricks to our eyes, to make us believe it was see through, just like real lace.
Museo Nacional del Prado
Calle de Ruiz de Alarcón, 23, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Opening Hours :
Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Close on these days:
- January 1st
- May 1st
- December 25th
Date Visited : Jun 2018
Indeed the statue of Isabel II is amazing, I pay her a visit every time I go to the Prado.
I fell in love when I walked in for the first time. And I have been longing to go back and see her since!