From the set out, I knew this trip was not going to be what I expected. Madrid after the initial «tourist trip» with Marielle some 5 years back, had been to see specific exhibitions, notably a Miro and have a first visit to the Prado. Of course, the Guernica.
We did all that and were both very happy. However, I knew then that the Prado had only been glazed over although I had, thanks to Marielle, learnt a lot about Bosch.
After the cold and rain in Paris, we arrived to find Madrid under blazing sun light and comfortably 26° - 32° on our last day
 |
| Curious tree cutting |
 |
| It was 32° |
There were no specific exhibitions on in Madrid, I was looking forward to time at the Prado with explanations on periods and pictures from an acquaintance who is an art historian. Somehow, time ran away and it seemed that we dashed through the Prado at the rate of nots. I felt like a tourist «I had done the Prado» Many of the artists I know thanks to the Ecole du Louvre but if it was necessary to talk about their work, I would be incapable of doing so. Perhaps I could describe a Goya, or know a painting by Memling, Titian, Caravaggio or El Greco and certainly a Bosch or Brueghel and of course a Cranach but I am sure if you put many of the Spanish school in front of me, I would be incapable of saying who it was or who they were.
 |
| Zurbaran - Still Life 1660 |
The highlight of the Prado visit was the discovery of Francisco de
Zurbaran’s "Still Life" which Morandi was inspired by. I must go back to
the Prado if only to study as many as I can take of the 50 masterpieces
that the collection includes.
 |
| Morandi 1948-49 |
The first stop was to see Joaquin’s SOROLLA’s small museum. The gardens reminded me a little of the Albert Khan gardens but with statues and certainly very small in comparison.
 |
| Sorolla's garden |
 |
| One of 4 statues |
 |
| And another |
Sorolla was born in Valencia in 1865, orphaned at 2 and taken in by an aunt and her locksmith husband. Happily, his artistic gifts were recognized and encouraged at an early age. A local photographer, Antonio García Pérez, gave him work as a lighting assistant, an experience that was to inform Sorolla’s later skills in handling light and constructing his compositions. As he had lived in Valence, it is not surprising that many scenes are painted on the beach. But where had I discovered him the first time? Was it in Lisbon when I saw the exhibition on the sea? Perhaps there were paintings but none which I have kept and now I tend to think it was in 2007 with a Sargent and Sorolla exhibition in Paris «Life and Light». There is certainly light in his work and the shadows of the children in the water are quite beautiful. His paintings are recognizable. Perhaps now I can put a name to them.
 |
| SORELLA _ - 1904 _Clotilde on the Beach |
 |
| Children-on-the-Beach,-1910- |
My decision was taken, if this trip was to interest me, I would look at paintings and try and put a name to them from a distance.
It was a joy to go back to the Thyssen-Bornemisza. The collection is a «handable» one for me even if it does range from the 17th century to the 20th. I didn’t go back too much over the early work but hastened to the 20th century. How much would I know? How much could I put a name to, not a date perhaps, but a period? A School? ......in the early stages I recognized Rembrandt, Cranach ....but many of the others dating from that period, I am ashamed to say I could not give a name...even if we had studied them.
 |
| Smoker - Adrian Brouer? |
 |
| The Virgin Mary but by who? |
Three pictures that caught my attention....the children's heads seem so large.....
 |
| Portrait of Isabelle and Stewart 1773-74: Charles WIlliam Peale |
However, as we came into the 20th century, there I became better - thankfully - a Kirchner one of the German expressionists, I got right as I did Beckmann, Braque (well it could have been a Picasso) Kandinsky - the three of them, Georgia O’Keeffe and one I was not certain about was a Picasso - but yippee, I was right. There are more than 200 paintings from both Spain and abroad spanning the period from the 17th to the 20th century as I said. The collection is on two floors and Level one really does house a magnificent examples of Post-Impressionist together with the Nabis, German Expressionism and Fauvism.
 |
| Ben Chamn - Carnival 1946 : Didn't know (DK) |
 |
| Henry Moore - Shelter Scene 1941 : Guess right (G.R.) |
 |
| Max Beckmann - Quappi in pink jumper 1935 - Guess wrong |
 |
| Modigliani Head of WOman 1915 (gr) |
 |
| Kees Van Dongen - Woman with cigarette 1922-24 (gr) |
 |
| Picasso 1907 - Study of the head of nude in drapery - of course |
 |
| Kupka - Study for the language of verticals -1911 (wrong) |
 |
| Kupka Study mobile graphics 1912-13 (right) |
 |
| George Grosz 1920 (right) |
 |
| Picasso - of course |
 |
| Salvador Dali - Pierrot with Guitar 1923-24 (wrong) |
 |
| Yves Tanguy 1942 (right) |
 |
| De Kooning 1973 Red Man WIth Moustache (right) |
 |
| Lucien Freud - Last Portrait - 1976-77 (right) |
 |
| Dont know |
 |
| Not sure.... |
 |
| Emile Nolde - Red Clouds (right) |
 |
| Kirchner - Streetwalker 1914 |
 |
| August Macke - Woman on a Divan 1914 |
 |
| Lady in Mauve - L. Feininger 1922 - didn't know |
|
|
|
 |
| Kandinsky - Top od Johansatrasse 1908 (G. wrong) |
 |
| Karl Hubbuch - Twice Hilde ll 1929 (wrong) |
 |
| Giacommetti (right) |
 |
| Kandinsky |
 |
| Kandinsky 1923 - Delicate Tension (right) |
 |
| Kandinsky |
 |
| Georgia O'Keefe - New York with Moon 1925 (right) |
 |
| Was your guess right? |
What was quite delightful was a small exhibition called «Reflections-
From Van Eyck to Magritte». A reminder for me of Alice in What was quite delightful was a small exhibition called «Reflections-
From Van Eyck to Magritte». A reminder for me of Alice in Wonderland
when she talks about reflections.....
to her pet kitten. - «Through the
Looking Glass» Artists since the beginning of time have always been
fascinated by light and reflections - Magritte, Freud, Bacon, Paul
Devaux gave
very good examples of such. A tiny exhibition which I
enjoyed immensely.
 |
| Paul Devaux |
 |
| Lucien Freud |
 |
| Magritte |
 |
| Francis Bacon_ PORTRAIT OF GEORGE DYER IN MIRROR 196 |
 |
| Guernica |
Onto the Reine Sofia - but the periods that really I think I know something about, could not be photographed.
The Guernica - the room is far too small and should leave more space to get away from it. At the request of the republican government, Picasso painted this theme for the Spanish pavillon at the International Paris exhibition in 1937. For years it was housed at the MAM in New York and didn't come back to Spain until 1981. It's probably one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century depicting the horrors of the Spanish War but apparently not famous enough for this prestigious museum to let it breathe.
 |
| Öyvind Fahlström - Brasil |
 |
| Henry Flynt - Spirit World Painting 1961-1993 |
 |
| Luciano FABRO 2007 |
There were paintings I was pleased to see again but perhaps it was more important to visit the new wing and discover today’s artists. There are few I will get excited about - in fact none at all. The above few examples may be of interest but what was fascinating were two HUMAN figures «climbing» on a frame - up and down, side to side with ropes they went, around, and movement never stopped. Well not for the ten minutes I looked at them anyway. Apart from me in the room, they were quite alone.
 |
| Simo, Forti Five Dance Constructions and Other Things |
Commentaires