On Friday afternoon I headed to the Museo del Prado with my art class for our second visit. This visit we focused on Goya. They artist lived for 82 years and throughout that time a lot changed. He lived between 2 different artistic styles, wars, and revolutions. The change of his temperament is striking as one walks through the collections in the Prado. From magnificent colors to a room filled with his black paintings the viewer can feel how the years took a toll on the artist. The change in style and mood over the course of his lifetime is truly remarkable. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite works.
El Parasol - 1777
Charles IV y su Familia - 1800
3 de Mayo (1808) - 1814
El Aquelarre o El Gran Cabrón - 1823
After a few hours of lecture by my art professor I met up with some friends from Carleton (btinladies) and we headed back into the Prado to wander some more. As much as I love art museums when I hit hour 4 I was ready for a change of pace. A night out in Madrid was just that. We embraced the botellón en Plaza del Sol with 1,50€ white wine, progressed to a market for tapas, bar hopped, and then followed some crowds to a small (free!) club which ended up being right near our hostel.
The next morning we woke up and did some shopping in the morning. That afternoon we picnicked in El Parque del Retiro and took in the beautiful day. The temperature was probably in the mid 70s, the sun was out, and some of the leaves on the trees were turning. Bread, cheese, salami, fruit, and wine from a hole in the wall supermercado get you a long way on a budget. After lunch I decided to explore the park for a while. It was hard for me to remember that I was in one of the largest cities in Europe. I fell in love.
Some fall colors
Kids chasing down bubbles outside Palacio de Vidrio
After wandering Retiro I headed to Reina Sofía. The modern art museum in Madrid it is home to many works by Miró, Dalí, and Picasso to name a few. Not the biggest modern art fan I quickly realized the 4th floor was not for me and headed to the 2nd where I found the collection from the early 20th century. I spent most of my time in the galleries with works from the turn of century and the Spanish Civil War. Guernica was definitely my favorite of all the of the works in the museum. One of those paintings that you have seen in countless history books and read about for years but never seen. Another part of the collection that I found intriguing was the works from the Franco regime. One way that artists expressed discontent with the government was through incredibly satirical drawings. I recognized some of the images from a class that I took last spring on Spain in the 20th century which was pretty neat. After a full day of exploration we headed back to the hostel to get ready for the night out.
The next morning I woke up and headed to El Rastro which is a giant flee market that is held every Sunday in Madrid. After finding a hole in the wall café - we indulged in some churros y chocolate and then I headed on my way. I went to mass at a beautiful catholic church right by the Museo del Prado. It has taken a month but I can finally follow my Spanish mass guide book without too much trouble. Exciting progress. After mass I went to catch the bus back to Toledo and ran into some friends that were heading back from Oktoberfest. What I thought was going to be a solo return ended with friends sharing stories of a weekend of adventure. Pretty perfect.
Hasta luego Madrid.
No comments:
Post a Comment