I know the Prado is acclaimed as one of the world's best museums, and its global reputation rests…read moreon the depth of classic European paintings from the 12th to the 19th century. No argument about that, but unlike the Louvre, it doesn't offer the breadth of art one would expect from such a vaunted museum. The curators apparently have no interest in expanding their collection because it engenders unmanageable foot traffic.
That also explains why photography is prohibited in the galleries. I ended up buying postcards to have a visual remembrance of my favorite masterpieces collected by centuries of Spanish royalty. Consequently, the Spanish masters are represented by familiar masterworks like Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velázquez (Photo 4), as well as The Naked Maja and The Family of Carlos IV (Photo 7), both by Francisco de Goya.
Other European masterworks are represented like the impressive Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (Photo 6) and The Judgment of Paris by Peter Paul Rubens. Beyond this scope, there are intriguing artifacts to peruse like the Leoni Renaissance Sculptures (Photo 3). Truth be told, you need to add the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Museo Reina Sofía to get a more complete picture of Madrid's artful treasures.
RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/ElhwJIbGWS
