The Hermitage in the Prado, Madrid
Celebrated paintings by Picasso, Gauguin, Rembrandt and Caravaggio are among the cultural treasures currently on display at the Museo Nacional Del Prado in Madrid, as part of a collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. The landmark Hermitage in the Prado exhibition was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen of Spain and runs until 25 March. So there’s still time to see it – and we highly recommend that you do.
The exhibition marks a continuation of the partnership between two outstanding art institutions. Last year, 66 works from the Prado departed the Spanish capital for the Russian city of St Petersburg, where they graced the galleries of the Nikolaevsky Hall in the Winter Palace, displayed alongside the Hermitage’s own extraordinarily broad collection. Now, the rare opportunity to see works from the State Hermitage outside of Russia is available to anyone visiting the Spanish capital during the next few months.
The State Hermitage is considered by many to be the world’s greatest museum, with a collection that features more than three million works of art and artefacts, including paintings, graphic works, sculptures and archaeological finds from across the globe. Now some of these are enticingly close, in Madrid, so for a short time you can get a taste of this vast and varied collection when visiting Las Rozas Village.
Among the 180 works on display are two paintings by one of Spain’s most adored sons, Pablo Picasso. Created by the artist when he was still in his mid-twenties and splitting his time between France and Spain, Seated Woman and Boy with a Dog were painted just three years apart, but display the great range of style and emotion that Picasso used so successfully throughout his career. These two works alone reflect the importance and breadth of the Hermitage’s collection. Poignantly these paintings are temporarily returning home.
Other exhibits further reveal the rich diversity of themes, textures, tastes and territory that only the Hermitage can boast. Some of the artefacts date back to the fifth century BC and originate from the northern coast of the Black Sea. Elsewhere is Caravaggio’s magnificent oil painting, Lute Player, while another highlight is the highly recognisable style of Paul Gauguin, with his Te avae no Maria (The Month of Mary).
Once you’ve enjoyed this exhibition it’s well worth exploring other parts of the Prado if you’ve not previously been. It too, is considered to be one of the world’s best museums and houses a hugely impressive collection of Spanish art, making it a popular stop-off for visitors to Madrid. There are paintings by El Greco, José de Ribera and Velázquez to marvel at, as well as an array of fantastic international works by other renowned masters.
For now however, the focus is the Russian collection. After all, it’s not often that you get to see one great museum inside another – but while this exhibition lasts you can do just that.
‘The Hermitage in the Prado’ is on display at the Museo Nacional Del Prado in Madrid until 25 March 2012. Tickets are priced from €12.
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26-01-2012
