Prado Museum - The Hermitage collection in Madrid

A little bit of Rusia in Madrid

The exhibition of Hermitage in the Prado Museum will stay with us only until April the 8th! So, I decided to use my lunch gap, grab a sandwich and avoid queues. Sometimes I believe there is a mixed feeling about queuing, some might like it, and you end up socialising!! Up to now I do not like it so I always try to choose the right time or buy my tickets on-line! (if I can...) That's the case with Prado museum..

The first part of the exhibition is a bit boring with many paintings showing the surroundings of the Hermitage. The exhibition gets more and more interesting as you get to see a chronological perspective of art history ranging from the 5th century BC to the 20th century with Kandinsky and Malevich.

The library of the Hermitage,
Aleksei Vasilievich Tyranov

Try to get an audio guide, which will surely make the whole difference. You'll have a complete private art history lesson since Hermitage gathers a good collection of Spanish, Dutch, Italian, French, Italian paintings dating from the 16th century, a bit of name dropping... Ribera, Velazquez, Poussin, Matisse, Monet, Bernini, Van Eyck, Durero, Van Dongen, Rembrandt, Watteu, Picasso...

You don't really get to know much about russian artists... but impressive collection!

My recommendation, after Hermitage and after any temporary exhibition at Prado Museum is to go straight to Velazquez and Goya rooms... You get never tired to admire them!!!

Woman in black Hat, Kees van Dogen

Magdalen by Canova