WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26
It was sunny and a bit warmer when we arrived at Atocha station for the start of our very Madrid day. Walking up Paseo de Prado, we passed the Botanical Gardens on our way to the Prado. Massive lines surrounded the Museum, and Chloe and I were acutely aware of how lucky we have been so far. But more luck accompanied us. Since we purchased Art Passes, we were able to skip the line. It felt suspiciously easy.
THE PRADO MUSEUM
The museum had run out of space to check coats; that’s how crowded it was. People were carrying heavy winter coats and backpacks through the museum.
After mapping our must-see list, first up were the huge, Spanish history paintings. We spent a lot of time in front of a provocative painting depicting the execution of revolutionaries who returned to Majorca. Then one of a mad Queen at the burial of her husband. Hazel said, it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, you suffered death and pain the same.
DIEGO VELAZQUEZ, ET AL
Since we’d seen Picasso’s paintings of Velazquez’s “Ines” in Barcelona, the Velazquez hall was next. The original “Ines” didn’t disappoint. Velazquez’s use of white is brilliant; he illuminates just the right amount. Spanish painters seem expert at both white and black. And red when you consider El Greco, too. The Velazquez hall included portraits of the royal family, a hilarious painting of Queen Isabella on horseback, her tiny head atop a giant horse covered in an even more giant cloth, tiny feet dangling below.
Goya’s, “La Mujanue,” of a lounging, and yet floating, woman, dressed in a white silk dress, nipples apparent on large breasts, and a dark V at her crotch was startlingly sexual. El Greco’s paintings were haunting: white in eyes in the wrong place, thick black outline (I can see how this influenced Picasso), figures elongated like they’re being stretched, and more tiny heads.
It only took a couple of hours for the three of us to be exhausted. Looking at historical and classical paintings is more tiring than looking at contemporary works. They require jumping through time hoops, and also most are so loaded with detail and story.
THE BOTANICAL GARDEN
Lunch at a Thai restaurant on Atocha refreshed us for our visit to the 700-hundred-year-old Botanical Garden. It was still nice out. We meandered through neatly-planned areas, fountains, terraces, shrubs, vegetable gardens, a wide variety of tree, two small greenhouse that were ancient and eerie feeling with their iron grates underfoot, vines creeping up rounded glass, moss, overgrown plants shading the light through humid air. And two pavilions with contemporary art. In one, the art was on the ground and we watched as a woman taking a selfie walked on one piece. Pretty amazing.
After all of that, we stopped at the Coslada gym before going home. Oh, so good.
