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Museo Nacional del Prado is one of Europe’s major heritage institutions. Opened to the public in 1819 in a building designed by Juan de Villanueva, it brings together Spain’s former royal collections and offers an exceptional journey through European painting.
Spanish and European schools
The Prado is especially renowned for Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, as well as for its Flemish and Italian holdings. Bosch, Rubens, Titian, Raphael, Fra Angelico, Dürer, Murillo, Zurbarán and Ribera are among the collection’s essential artists.
Works that became landmarks
Velázquez’s Las Meninas, Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights, Goya’s Third of May 1808 and Rubens’s Three Graces are among the best-known works. They open perspectives on power, religion, portraiture, mythology, violence and imagination.
Beyond painting
The museum also holds sculpture, drawings, prints, photography and decorative arts. Its work includes research, conservation, exhibitions, lectures, publishing and education.
Why it matters
- An essential collection of Spanish painting.
- Major masterpieces of European art.
- International work in research and conservation.
- Editorial connections with Reina Sofía and Picasso Museum.