Swompdonkey

Well, this is it, I guess. Last day in Madrid.As if to put a period at the end of the sentence, I watched Oporto beat Monaco in the Champion´s League final last night. James´ Euro 2004 trip is just about over. I am grabbing an Easyjet flight to London this afternoon. In London, I will be staying with my cousin Sara, whom I have not seen for 14 years. I will also get to meet her fiance, which is great, since I plan on coming to the wedding next June, and this way the groom won´t be a complete stranger ("Nice to meet you... so I understand you are marrying my prima today..")

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Prado. I have now visited 3 of Europe´s -and possibly, the world´s- top museums: The Vatican, The Ufizzi, and the Prado. The Prado is a monument to the glories of Spain´s golden age in the 16th century. Whereas the Ufizzi is small and compact, the Prado is massive. It overflows with works by Goya, Velazquez (Las Meninas is truly one of the most amazing paintings I have ever seen), Bosch, El Greco, Raphael and the "big three" of the Venetian Renaissance: Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. It also contains works by one of my "new" favourites, Bellini. Bellini was a very influential painter who sometimes gets overlooked. His canvases are bright and beautiful, truly uplifting.

Interestingly enough, the Prado also bears witness to Spain´s decline, and its troubled history of civil strife. Several of Velasquez´ frank and honest paintings of 17th century Hapsburg royals depict sallow-skinned, bulbous lipped figures with underbites, clearly showing the effects of inbreeding. You can almost see the frustration on Philip IV´s tired face as he sits astride his horse, a sad figure. His empire is crumbling, his son is an imbecile, the women of his family barely have time to squeeze out one child before they croak. Maybe he is thinking "Why can´t it be like the good old days? Grampa had it so much better!"

Then, there is Goya. As far as I am concerned, this artist is in a class by himself. His black period paintings are more frightening and disturbing than anything ever written by Edgar Allen Poe. His earlier works known as "Caprichos" are incredibly compelling, making you feel like you are a part of the action. His portraits are second to none. With 5 minutes to go before closing, I sprinted down the hall to see two of his most famous works, Dos de Mayo and Tres de Mayo, which depicts the Madrid uprising of 1808 against Napoleon and its aftermath. Lets just say that if you go to the Prado and miss these two masterpieces, you are crazy.

I´m not going to say that the Prado is the best museum in the world... I haven´t seen the Louvre, the Guggenheim, etc... but given that I am half-Spanish, could you blame me if I did?