On 19 November 1819 Ferdinand VII of Spain inaugurated the Museo Real de Pinturas. Two centuries later the present-day Museo Nacional del Prado is commemorating its Bicentenary.
Francisco Goya Portrait of Ferdinand VII of Spain in his robes of state (1815). Museo del Prado
The Prado Museum Art Collections
The works housed at the Prado Museum (link to the collection) are displayed on three floors, and illustrate the history of the cultural politics of the Spanish court.
Therefore, there are paintings by court painters and great artists of the past, such as the Venetian painter Titian,who was the official portrait painter of Charles V, who loved the Flemish painters, as well.
Titian. Danae Receiving the Golden Rain. 1553. Museo del Prado
We owe to Philip II, instead, the world’s greatest collection of paintings by Hieronymus Bosch; whereas Philip IVallowed Velazquez to express himself to the best of his talent, and bought works of the Italian Renaissance for this art collection.
Hieronymus Bosch. Fantasía moral (Visio tondali). Museo del Madrid
Thanks to Philip V paintings by French painters enriched the collection; whereas the court of Charles IV was dominated by the personality of Francisco Goya, on display at the Prado Museum with almost 130 works.
Francisco Goya. The Clothed Maja. Museo del Prado
A large section of the Prado Museum is characterized by religious paintings, not only because the Church has played a dominant role in Spain over centuries, but also because in 1872 paintings coming from the collection of the Museo de la Trinidad, full of medieval works coming from all over Spain and painted by artists who hadn’t work for the sovereigns, entered the museum.
That’s why you’ll find works by El Greco, who worked especially in Toledo.
As for Spanish, Flemish and Dutch art you can’t miss: The Triumph of Death by Brueghel; Artemis by Rembrandt; the three paintings of mythological subject by Rubens (Perseus and Andromeda; The judgement of Paris; The three Graces); Las Meninas by Velazquez. (The Art Post Blog).
Contra Spem Spero... Et Rideo 