Moving Ever Onward...

So yes, the student wanderer has wandered himself out. The consequences? Sitting in bed with his feet up (not too bad if you ask me). This weekend contained some interesting developments at SUMC, but first i must fill in the gap that gapes at us from between Salamanca and the Bike trip.

The first weekend we were back in the city, Amy put together a day trip to the Prado museum. I, of course, signed up and that Friday, a small group of us met to see what treasures the museum beheld. With our very informative guide, we saw the three great Spanish masters that are displayed within the Prado, Goya, Velasquez, and El Greco. While there, I was able to see paintings that I had only studied in art books, such as Las Meninas by Velasquez and the dark paintings by Goya. The museum is massive so after we finished the tour i rented a set of audio guide headphones and went back through the museum. Around every corner there was something new and exciting and i ended up spending most of the day there. Before i left i paid a small fee to be able to see the special exhibition Titian and the Masters. The entire exhibit was about how Titian evolved as an artist and how he used the works of the great painters to fuel his own creativity. The exhibition was magnificently done as it began with his younger years and progressed as you went along, each of his paintings paired with a few of the masters that inspired the work.

           The next morning i decided to wander around the old center, pausing to have lunch in the park in front of the Palacio Real. The day was a bit warm so i decided to take advantage of the cool interiors and free afternoon admission of the Reina Sophia modern art museum. My personal taste tends to be a bit more towards the traditional, but some of the modern art within the museum blew me away. I have always admired Dali and Picasso and being able to see Guernica was amazing. A hint: the Reina Sofia allows photography of all the works in the museum, except for Picasso's Guernica which has a room to itself.
       The following weekend i went to see the final part of the triumvirate of Madrid's Museums the Thyssen-Bornemisza. The collection within this museum is unlike both the Prado and the Reina Sophia as it was the personal collection of a Baron and Baroness for whom the museum is named. Their collection spans the entire spectrum of art from primitive Italian, to French Impressionists, to more modern works by Georgia O’Keeffe. My personal favorite was Edward Hopper's Hotel Room, which I had seen in numerous art books and was excited to see in person. I also saw the temporary exhibition of Ghirlandaio and Renaissance Florence. The entire exhibit was based around his famous profile of Albizzi Tornabuoni. The Thyssen makes for a light and fun museum day compared to the serious heavy-hitters of the Prado and the Reina Sofia.