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Jun 915 min read

Entry 7

Wednesday, June 5th

Today, we went to Museo del Prado. Looking in from the outside, it looks a lot less massive than it truly is. Both the famous monastery Los Jerónimos and the headquarters of Real Academia Española are located nearby.


We were not allowed to take pictures inside of the Prado but I did write down all of the artworks that I admired. First, we looked at the nine muses from Greek mythology. The professor said the word "museum" comes from muse and the muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who was the Goddess of memory.

Then, we looked at Fusilamiento de Torrijos y sus compañeros en las playas de Málaga by Gisbert. Torrijos and similar liberal politicians returned from their exile in England but were executed by Fernando VII on the beaches of Málaga without trial due to their anti-absolutism beliefs (Execution of Torrijos and His Companions on the Beaches of Malaga - Collection - Museo Nacional Del Prado, n.d.).

Next was El Triunfo de la Muerte by Brueghel where everyone succumbs to the wrath of the skeletons. This painting shows that no one can escape death, not even the king.

Then, we visited Jardín de las Delicias by El Bosco which the professor said depicts the Garden of Eden with no sin on the left, sin in the middle, and Hell on the right. The interesting thing is that El Bosco included his own face in the painting (right side) because he was a sinner as well.

Afterwards, the professor took us to Descendimiento de la Cruz by van der Weyden. This scene portrays Jesus's body after his crucifixion. According to the professor, the woman on the left in blue is Mary and blue paint was very expensive at the time. So, owning a painting with blue was a sign of wealth. The painting was made by a gild and the arrows in the corned denoted which particular gild this artwork came from.

The professor later showed us Adán y Eva by Durero (Dürer in German), who the professor considers to be one of the best German painters of all time. Durero decided to shield Adam and Eve's genitalia with leaves but left Eve's breasts exposed.

Next, we went to La Anunciación by Fra Angelico which shows the archangel Gabriel visiting Mary (Annunciation, The [Fra Angelico] - Museo Nacional Del Prado, n.d.). Fra Angelico was a Dominican friar and this fresco was commissioned for his convent (“Annunciation (Fra Angelico, San Marco),” 2024). What is so interesting about this painting is that it is one of the first paintings from the early renaissance period (“Annunciation (Fra Angelico, San Marco),” 2024).

Another interesting painting we saw was Retablo de Doña María de Aragón by El Greco. According to the professor, the standard ratio at the time was eight heads per body, but El Greco painted with 12 heads per body, making his people seem elongated.

The professor showed us La Fragua de Vulcano by Velázquez where Apollo informs Vulcan of Aphrodite’s affair with Ares, for whom Vulcan is making armor (Vulcan’s Forge - The Collection - Museo Nacional Del Prado, n.d.) . The professor said this painting is supposed to represent the gods having human emotions.

After, we looked at the most famous painting in Museo del Prado Las Meninas by Velázquez. This is a portrait of the whole royal family with Vázquez on the left painting something the viewer cannot see. The mirror at the back reflects the king and queen, so perhaps Velázquez was painting them. Also, according to the professor, the red pot represents clay that would be imported from Mexico, ground up, and eaten by women so they could look more pale. The professor then explained that Velázquez has the red cross of St. James on his shirt which was only worn by men who had been knighted as part of the order of Santiago.

Next, the professor showed us a similar painting depicting the royal family of Carlos IV with Goya painting something in the background. Goya being in the background is an homage to Velázquez’s prior painting. The lady whose face is not shown is the bride-to-be whose identity was not known at the time.

The following painting called La Maja Vestida by Goya depicts the lover of the prime minister of Spain. A nude version was also made by Goya. The professor explained that painters traditionally could only paint nude people if it was related to mythology or Adam and Eve. However, the professor said Goya broke from tradition by not giving these options as reasons why he made the painting.

The professor then led us to Goya’s black paintings. Because Goya didn’t give any of the black paintings names, the painting on the left was labeled El Perro. It’s easy to see the head of a dog but unclear if the dog is drowning. The painting on the right was named Aquelarre which, according to the professor, portrays a convent of witches with the he-goat representing the devil.


Another black painting we saw was Saturno Devorando a su Hijo. The professor said it depicts the Greek Titan Saturn devouring his son so that none of his offspring could overthrow him. I'm not showing a picture of it because it's quite disturbing and difficult to look at.


The last paintings the professor showed us were about the French invasion of Spain in 1808. El dos de Mayo by Goya shows the citizens of Madrid fighting against French-hired mercenaries. The professor said that Goya didn’t glorify these Madrileños as heroes or martyrs but showed them fiercely engaged in war much like a photojournalist. El Tres de Mayo recalls the execution of these citizens after their capture. Noticeably, one man has his arms outstretched like Christ.

We were going to look at a second copy of the Mona Lisa, but it was on loan in Shanghai. After looking at the professor’s top paintings, I went to Restaurante Prado for some lunch. I got red meat with orange with a slight taste of alcohol in the sauce. I also had a miniature chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Both were delicious.


After lunch, I decided to take a look at as many paintings as I possibly could. Here are the paintings which I liked the most.



After enjoying Museo del Prado, I went to Accent to meet up with everyone else to go to El Matadero. At El Matadero, I got a simple café con leche and we saw some modern art exhibits.

The first one presented a scenario in which AI was taking control over the world. It was dark and played some scary music.


Then, we looked at some shapes made from wooden strips. It reminded me of 3D diagrams I saw in physics and calculus.


Afterwards, we went into a futuristic house covered with plants inside. We later went into a gym area with modern art related to exercise equipment.


After that exhibit, I stayed behind and went into the plaza. I tried to buy tickets for a 3D movie of the destruction of Pompeii but the credit card reader denied my credit card because it was foreign, despite the fact that my “world” credit card has worked everywhere else. I made my way to the library which had some Czech comic art.


After leaving the library, I went back to Yugo, had some dinner, and went to bed.


Thursday, June 6th

Today, we had a late start. So, I did my laundry before class. For class, we went to Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. First, we saw a plaster copy of the statue of the Fallen Angel in Parque del Retiro made by Ricardo Bellver (Ángel Caído (Reducción), n.d.).

Then, we saw a series of paintings, of which I will discuss only the most interesting. First, we looked at a portrait of a man represented with different kinds and shapes of flowers. This painting is called La Primavera and was created by Arcimboldo. Next, is a painting of Saint Jerome. I saw several paintings of St. Jerome by El Greco in Sevilla and this painting is similar. It has El Greco’s signature elongation of the body.


The following painting Agnus Dei by Zurbarán is metaphorical. The lamb of God, which refers to Jesus in John 1:29, is a literal lamb (Bible Verses about Lamb of God, n.d.). Furthermore, the lamb being bound and haloed represents Jesus's selfless sacrifice. El Sueño del Caballero by Pereda also has religious meaning. It shows that all the material wealth and pleasures in life, such as money, acting, hunting, jewelry, and music are meaningless once death comes. It's a reminder to be aware of death and to focus on one's own religious obligations.


The next painting has an interesting backstory. According to the professor, this portrait was of a bride-to-be before her wedding and was sent to the future husband. The parrot represents communication through the sending of this painting. After that, we looked at Alegoría de la Paz y la Justicia by Giaquinto. The professor explained the woman holding the olive branch is peace, and the woman with the crown and holding part of a traditional scale is justice. Furthermore, the cloaked skeleton figure is death, and the weapons and armor on the bottom left are war. Death and war pose a clear contrast to justice and peace, making it clear this painting has rich symbolism.

Then, I observed some historical paintings. One is of George Washington in 1796 by Perovani. A little detail I noticed is that the Potomac river is spelled like "Potomak". Then, I looked at the famous portrait of Emperor Napoleon in 1804 by Gérard.


After class was done, I stayed inside the museum to look at the metal plates which were used to help artists paint. After I was done with the museum, I went outside and relaxed on a bench listing to a street band perform classical music including Canon in D.


I returned to Yugo and got myself some lunch. I spent the rest of the day working on my blog and planning my trip to Ávila.


Friday, June 7th

Today, I went to Ávila. I had to leave Yugo at 8 am to catch the train leaving from Píncipe Pío train station. It was a little confusing to me that the train station was attached to the mall. Despite this, I was able to make it to my train early. As soon as I got out of the train station, I was not let down. There was a nice breeze and it wasn’t too hot. The sidewalks were wide and there were many trees providing shade. I also noticed that there were several quality restrooms in close proximity to the downtown area which was nice. So, overall, I got a good impression of the city. The first interesting place I noticed was the monastery of Santa Ana. The building is originally from the 14th century and was refurbished in the late 16th century (Royal Monastery of Santa Ana in Ávila, n.d.). It served as a convent for nuns until 1982 when it was declared a national monument (Royal Monastery of Santa Ana in Ávila, n.d.).


When I reached the walls of Ávila, I noticed there was a little park with lots of shade and benches so people can just sit down and admire the walls. The walls themselves are pretty spectacular and they look like the stereotypical medieval castle walls.


Next, I visited Palacio de los Verdugo. On the outside it's gray and made of stone. Inside, it's set up in the Moorish style with a patio in the middle and rooms on the perimeter.


There was a metal statue of a knight and his dog, and in the staircase, there was a really old tapestry.


On the top floor, there were some art pieces by the owner of the "palace". Historical objects were also on display, like these silver mallets made in 1590.


After visiting the "palace", I noticed there were modern apartments right next to it. This area even had the remains of columns.


Moreover, a lot of medieval architecture still remains in use in the city.


I decided to explore the perimeter of the castle walls. The castle walls serve as a common walkway surrounded by trees and restaurants.


One of the main entrances to the castle walls directly follows from the plaza of San Vicente, the statue of San Vicente, and Iglesia de San Pedro.

Walking on the perimeter, I saw a rose garden and some statues, including one of Isabel La Católica.


The castle is in an elevated part of the city, so there's a nice view of the city and the mountains in the background. I noticed the base of the walls still have large uncut stones.


Going inside the city walls, I was impressed that there were many businesses and lots of activity. For example, I walked through a crowded market.


I ran into a government building where there was a fountain and a statue of Adolfo Suárez.

Then, I went into the cathedral of Ávila, which, according to the plaque outside of its entrance, is considered the first Gothic cathedral in Spain dating back to 1172. Inside, the cathedral is supported by large gray columns and it makes great use of light with its stained glass windows.

The cathedral has several chapels, each with their own distinct look. However, I am only to show the most interesting parts of the cathedral. The organ room has leaning seats much like that in Toledo. The organ was playing when I came in and it sounded really cool. I also liked the custody of Juan de Arfe which is used in religious processions. It has golden angels, a silver top, and is decorated with red roses.


The main altar was also spectacular, with paintings, gold plating, and the surrounding architecture making it a worthwhile viewing.

I also went into the chapel of the anonymous bishop, whose body lies inside a coffin. Then, I went outside and got a nice view of the cloister chapel.


After visiting the cathedral, I went into a restaurant and saw that they had croquetas on their menu. When I asked the waiter for croquetas he said they didn't have any, so I had to go with my second option, which was pasta. Despite not having any croquetas, the pasta tasted really good. I managed to get a nice view of the castle walls from where I ate.


Later, I went to the basilica. Unlike the cathedral, it was closed.

Afterwards, I took the train back to Madrid. As soon as I got back to Yugo, I planned my trip to Aranjuez and purchased my tickets for the royal palace there.


Academic Analysis: Beauty

Art is supposed to be beautiful but I didn’t get that impression when I saw Goya’s black paintings at Museo del Prado. I felt disturbed and uncomfortable. I asked myself, what caused Goya to make these paintings, what do they represent, who were they intended for, what impact have they had on Spanish art, and are they considered beautiful?


In 1792, Goya contracted some unknown illness which made him deaf (Francisco Goya | Biography, Art, Paintings, Etchings, & Facts | Britannica, 2024). Then, in 1808, Napoleonic France invaded and occupied Spain, which led Goya to create several paintings depicting the brutality and horrors of the war (Francisco Goya | Biography, Art, Paintings, Etchings, & Facts | Britannica, 2024). After the temporary exile of Fernando VII, Spain had created the Constitution of Cádiz (Ferdinand VII | King of Spain, Imprisonment by Napoleon, Reinstatement | Britannica, n.d.). However, after Fernando VII’s return, he repealed the constitution, reinstated the inquisition, and abolished the free press (admin, 2018). Because of his tyrannical rule and absolutist reign, many of Goya’s friends went into self-imposed exile (Francisco Goya | Biography, Art, Paintings, Etchings, & Facts | Britannica, 2024). Goya started making the black paintings in 1819, when he suffered a relapse of his illness (Francisco Goya | Biography, Art, Paintings, Etchings, & Facts | Britannica, 2024). During this time, Goya was socially isolated and living alone in Quinta del Sordo (Why Did Francisco Goya Make His Black Paintings?, 2022). So, a combination of factors, including illness, exposure to the horrors of war, and social isolation all likely contributed to Goya’s paranoid and troubled state of mind when he made the black paintings.


The black paintings are considered to be part of the romantic period of art (Goya’s Darkest Masterpieces, 2023). Romantic art rejects the order, calmness, and rationality present in neoclassicism and instead emphasizes the subjective, emotional, and imperfect (Romanticism | Definition, Characteristics, Artists, History, Art, Poetry, Literature, & Music | Britannica, 2024). More specifically, the black paintings are meant to represent fear, death, despair, and disgust shaped by Goya’s life experiences (Goya’s Darkest Masterpieces, 2023).


These black paintings were not commissioned by anyone, rather Goya made these paintings directly on his house’s walls for himself (Why Did Francisco Goya Make His Black Paintings?, 2022). This means Goya’s black paintings were personal and didn’t need to pass through a filter.


Goya’s emotional, personal, and romanticist style reflected in the black paintings influenced the works of prominent artists in the 19th and 20th centuries such as Eugène Delacroix, Édouard Manet, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí (Felisati & Sperati, 2010; Francisco Goya | Biography, Art, Paintings, Etchings, & Facts | Britannica, 2024; Why Did Francisco Goya Make His Black Paintings?, 2022).


Even though I find the black paintings disturbing and difficult to look at, several distinguished artists have been fascinated by them, especially The Dog. For example, Antonio Saura, an important surrealist artist, called The Dog, “the world’s most beautiful picture” (Phelan, 2019). Another prominent surrealist artist, Joan Miró was an admirer of The Dog and requested to see only The Dog and Las Meninas on his last visit to Museo del Prado (“The Dog (Goya),” 2024; Tuschka, 2021). Furthermore, Manuela Mena, the former curator of Museo del Prado and a leading expert of Francisco Goya, said, “there is not a single contemporary painter in the world who does not pray in front of The Dog” (Lubow, 2003; “Manuela Mena,” 2024).


The black paintings are considered beautiful not for physical beauty but for the symbolism they contain and the ideas they communicate. Ultimately, this is the reason why the black paintings became so influential in shaping the romantic movement and later artistic movements of the 19th and 20th centuries.


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