I went to the Prado museum. I've decided that 3 hours is about my limit for a single museum.
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I was there at 10am for opening. Always great to get there at opening. Less crowds. I really enjoyed my visit. Some observations:
- Hey, your collection is heavy on the religious symbolism. Just saying.
- Goya was one prolific bastard.
- How did Hieronymus Bosch not get burned at the stake for his Garden of Earthly Delights? Even today, it's quite a bit demented.
- How did Goya not get burned at the stake for his Black Paintings?
- The sculpture gallery with Roman and Greek sculptures is tiny, but it may have been my favorite part. Granted, it's unfair to expect the national gallery of Spain to focus on anything other than Spanish paintings but, oh, look... another Titian... another Velázquez... another Goya...
- Also, FYI, even the combined might of Velázquez and Goya couldn't make the 16th century Spanish royals look anything less than a bunch of inbred freaks. As an historian, I already knew this, mind you, but I've spent years trying to figure out just WTF is wrong with Philip IV's face. I've finally decided it's the lips. You'd think someone would have said to Velázquez, "Hey, Diego... easy on the lips this time, OK?"
There were tiny sections devoted to French, Dutch, Italian and English paintings. Nothing particular of note. A special exhibit was devoted to young Van Dyck, oddly, which I enjoyed immensely. That kid was talented. Rubens must have been jealous.
Lots of school groups. I enjoyed seeing the little children and they seemed to be enjoying the gallery. I was surprised to see a few foreign school groups, though, including one consisting of small children (British, I suspect) and even one group of American teens.
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