One of the World’s Greatest Museums

💫As the cultural heart of Spain, the Madrid region boasts a variety of colorful museums, with the Prado, Thyssen, and Reina Sofia museums forming the renowned “Golden Triangle of Art” in Madrid. 💫The Prado Museum, located in the capital city of Madrid, Spain, was built in the 18th century and is considered one of the world’s greatest museums. It is the most comprehensive and authoritative museum for collecting Spanish paintings and sculptures. The Prado Museum is one of the most strictly monitored, with a guard in front of every masterpiece to prevent photography and video recording. 💫Revered as one of the “World’s Four Major Art Museums,” the Prado Museum is a source of pride for Spaniards and a pilgrimage site for every art enthusiast. Here, you can see famous works such as Velázquez’s “Las Meninas,” Goya’s “Clothed Maja” and “Naked Maja,” and Raphael’s “Cardinal” portrait. In the art world, there’s a saying: If you haven’t been to the Prado, you haven’t really been to Madrid. 💫“Las Meninas” is a canvas oil painting created in 1656 by the Spanish painter Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. This painting, with its genre scene of court life, depicts the daily life within the palace. Princess Margaret Theresa is portrayed as both solemn and unable to conceal her childishness, occupying the central position in the painting. 💫The original intent of this painting was to announce Princess Margaret Theresa as the heir to the throne, a “public official portrait” that clearly depicts the succession of royal power. 💫“The Naked Maja” is a bold challenge to the Spanish Inquisition’s ban on “depicting naked women.” Goya uses a diminished background to make the girl appear more serene, more charming, and gentler. The young body lies quietly on a glossy, luxurious pillow, with a cold-toned mattress of dark green velvet that accentuates the warm tones of the body. The shallow green shadows reflected on the body do not disrupt its golden hue. A pair of sharp eyes fully express her inner thoughts. 💫With his extraordinary natural observation, Raphael created the “Cardinal” with an intuitive and general image. The 45-degree turn to the right was a fundamental feature of the popular Flemish portrait style at the time. The figure, resembling a 15th-century Florentine bust, shows a sense of real presence against a black background. Raphael infused his model with the solemnity and elegance of a statue. #TravelNotForTheGram #BeltAndRoadGlobalTour #NoWorldViewWithoutSeeingTheWorld #SilkRoad #Spain #Madrid #PradoMuseum