Madrid, Spain: Sunday October 18, 2009:
(I think you can click on the Pictures to actually see the whole frame)
We toured Madrid on an a bus and saw the Royal Palace an Egyptian "Temple" called Temple of Debod which was rebuilt in Madrid for some reason. (?!?) Actually, I know why. Wikipedia is the best. It was built because of Spain helped Egypt preserve some other temples, and it was a gift of gratitude from Egypt to Spain.
Anyway... I spent 4 hours in The Prado Museum, and while I saw ..... 4 hours worth of paintings (Nearly every single room in this 3 story museum. . lots and lots.) I took notes when we were on our tour, and will explain here what I was taught.
Painting 1:
Ok. This one is by Goya: It's a portrait of the royal family of King Charles IV and Family. Interesting thing about this portrait and Goya: He didn't like the royal family. The King, he felt, was not a good King so he did not flatter the portraits. None of his portraits of the royal family are painted with flattery- he drew them as they were: slightly deformed. They Bourbon family, for instance, had big noses. Another family had elongated necks, which Goya always was willing to expose. (The Royal families in Spain were very inbred, sickly, and slightly deformed.) About the Queen in this portrait: She supposedly looks hideous, but she was pleased with the Painting even though he painted her exactly as she was. She was vain enough to think it beautiful.
Goya also did this one: it is part of his dark works. It's a painting of Saturn eating his sons because he heard that one of them would usurp him as ruler. Dark..... in the Prado it's located in a Dark room and is amongst many other gruesome paintings.
Valazquez is another extremely famous Spanish Artist:
This one of the crucifixion scene is probably one of the most beautiful:
Out of the hundreds (well, maybe just 100) crucifixion depictions... this one is probably my favorite. Against the black it's simple, ominous and at the same time rather unearthly. Ironically, this Painting was commissioned as a bribe-gift. The King of Spain had tried to seduce a nun in a local convent, and the nun went to her sisters for protection. The King was scolded and he felt guilty, so he asked Valazquez to paint this for their convent. odd.
Other than Religious scenes and portraits, another subject for many painters were Greek Myths.
This painting depicts the moment when Apollo (glowing one) tells Vulcan that his wife (Venus) has had an affair with Mars. I don't know. It's obvious once you look at it, but I wouldn't have thought that this is what was going on in the painting unless I was told. I like the expressions on the faces of the observers. The one in the background looks as if he already knew. The others look shocked. And of course, Vulcan is rather appalled.
Valazquez's most famous painting is Las meninas:
This work is said to be the most famous painting for execllence in composition. There are many ways to inturpret it: What is basically going on, however, is the Infanta Magarita with her ladies in waiting. She is in the Royal Palace of her father King Phillip IV of Spain. It also has, in a mirror perhaps, a depiction of the King and Queen. They are sitting at their thrones, and perhaps the princess is visiting them. It is, therefore, a family portrait. It's interesting because the painting depicts Valazquez perhaps painting it. Meta-painting. Another interpretation is that the Valazquez is actually painting the King and Queen on their thrones and we are watching a snap shot of the scene. Confusing.
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