El Prado is magnificent. But it is too big. There are too many paintings here. It is a struggle to preserve your visual energy for the great stuff and not wear yourself out on the mediocre. Not even every Goya is great but most are.
We tracked down our favorites, the sculptural Rogier van der Weyden’s “Descent from the Cross”, Durer’s “Adam And Eve”, Quinten Massys’ “Christ Presented to the People” and Raphael’s “Portrait of a Cardinal.” All these were primers for Zurbaran, Velázquez, El Greco and finally Goya’s “3rd of May,” his giant portrait of the royal family (shown above) and his incredible “Pinturas Negras.” The best Goyas are by no means stuck in time. They are so full of life, they make you laugh. They remain contemporary because no one else can paint like him.
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lovn these vacay posts! insert ‘clapping hands’ emoji here.___________