I had known for weeks before we got to Madrid that one thing I wanted to do when I got to this great city was visit the Prado. A few weeks before we left, there was an announcement that paintings were being brought in to the museum especially for World Youth Day, perhaps most impressively a piece by Caravaggio brought in from the Vatican collection. Being an art minor in college and having an art teacher as a father, this was an opportunity of a lifetime for me.
Last night we decided that today would be the perfect day to visit the museum: it was a must see on our list and we expected that it wouldn't be extremely crowded on the first day of World Youth Day. We arrived shortly after it opened, and it was surprisingly crowded. However, we must have gotten there just in time because the line increased greatly right behind us. Walking in to the rectangular, cement building, we headed right for the second floor and began our tour, highlighting the pieces as part of the World Youth Day exhibit.
Traversing the winding hallways and white galleries, we came upon a piece that impressed us all. Right in front of us hung the astonishingly large canvas of Murillo's Immaculate Conception. This familiar depiction shows Mary surrounded by glorious clouds and angels, and was the first to paint Mary dressed in blue and white garb with here hands crossed over her chest and her eyes raised to heaven. Our group's pastor, Fr. Sawicki, explained to us that this piece was the precedent for all other pictures in which the Virgin Mother is shown in like manner. To know that we were able to view such a treasure in person, especailly after our powerful experience in Lourdes, was almost unbelievable.
Another piece that made an impact on me especially was Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) by Francisco de Zurbaran. Although not as well know as other artists, Zurbaran created a piece that I am sure many people would recognize. It has no overtly religious characteristics; it is simply as lamb that has been bound and prepared for sacrifice. However, it is certainly a piece that people who have a knowledge of the faith would relate to Christ. The plaque next to the painting says that Zurbaran intended to create texture in the lamb's wool and horns so as to draw you into the image and have you contemplate it more deeply. It is much smaller than I ever expected it to be, which really did add to the enticing details.
Although not one of the highligthed paintings for the WYD exhibit, a favorite among our group was The Garden of Delights by Bosch. I have to admit, I had not heard much about Boshc before, my father the artist said this was one piece we absolutely could not miss when we were at the Prado. Once we got to the room it was in, we all had to admit it was really intriguing. Painted with many details and vibrant colors, this is a tryptich, meaning it is three separate pieces to form the whole picture. The left side show Eden, with God marrying Adam and Eve. The middle panel shows earth, with figures doing seemingly meaningless and idiotic tasks, such as men riding horses in a circle, trying to find the fountain of youth. The rightmost panel shows hell, where the people are being tormented by strange and ominous beings, including one with the face of Bosch himself. Telling by the amount of time we spent in front of it, I could say it really made us all think about our lives!
Finally we arrived at the pinnacle of the trip: El Descendimeniento (The Descent) by Caravaggio. The staggeringly large canvas is part of a display that takes up two walls of the gallery. One wall is reserved for the painting itself and the other is for a description of the piece. The depiction is of Christ being taken down from the cross, using a technique called chiaroscuro, or extreme contrast between light and dark. The background of the painting is very dark, while Christ is highlighted in the foreground with glowing pale skin and a white sheet. Mary His Mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, mother of Cleophas, are all depicted in the background with different expressions of sorrow. Standing before this masterpiece, the hairs on my arms stood up and I got goosebumps. Aside from the fact that will probably never see this piece again outside of the Vatican, it is extremely powerful in its depiction of sorrow, though we Chirstians know the hope that is to follow this despair. Fr. Sawicki was so inspired by it, he began to base a Good Friday homily off it (something to look forward to, St. Francis).
This visit was something I will not soon forget. It was a pleasure being able to write this blog entry, especially because we were prohibited from use of photography and I could reflect more on what I remember about some of my favorites. I hope my reflections and descriptions were able to engage your minds and imaginations, as mine were!
Posted by Kate
Last night we decided that today would be the perfect day to visit the museum: it was a must see on our list and we expected that it wouldn't be extremely crowded on the first day of World Youth Day. We arrived shortly after it opened, and it was surprisingly crowded. However, we must have gotten there just in time because the line increased greatly right behind us. Walking in to the rectangular, cement building, we headed right for the second floor and began our tour, highlighting the pieces as part of the World Youth Day exhibit.
Traversing the winding hallways and white galleries, we came upon a piece that impressed us all. Right in front of us hung the astonishingly large canvas of Murillo's Immaculate Conception. This familiar depiction shows Mary surrounded by glorious clouds and angels, and was the first to paint Mary dressed in blue and white garb with here hands crossed over her chest and her eyes raised to heaven. Our group's pastor, Fr. Sawicki, explained to us that this piece was the precedent for all other pictures in which the Virgin Mother is shown in like manner. To know that we were able to view such a treasure in person, especailly after our powerful experience in Lourdes, was almost unbelievable.
Another piece that made an impact on me especially was Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) by Francisco de Zurbaran. Although not as well know as other artists, Zurbaran created a piece that I am sure many people would recognize. It has no overtly religious characteristics; it is simply as lamb that has been bound and prepared for sacrifice. However, it is certainly a piece that people who have a knowledge of the faith would relate to Christ. The plaque next to the painting says that Zurbaran intended to create texture in the lamb's wool and horns so as to draw you into the image and have you contemplate it more deeply. It is much smaller than I ever expected it to be, which really did add to the enticing details.
Although not one of the highligthed paintings for the WYD exhibit, a favorite among our group was The Garden of Delights by Bosch. I have to admit, I had not heard much about Boshc before, my father the artist said this was one piece we absolutely could not miss when we were at the Prado. Once we got to the room it was in, we all had to admit it was really intriguing. Painted with many details and vibrant colors, this is a tryptich, meaning it is three separate pieces to form the whole picture. The left side show Eden, with God marrying Adam and Eve. The middle panel shows earth, with figures doing seemingly meaningless and idiotic tasks, such as men riding horses in a circle, trying to find the fountain of youth. The rightmost panel shows hell, where the people are being tormented by strange and ominous beings, including one with the face of Bosch himself. Telling by the amount of time we spent in front of it, I could say it really made us all think about our lives!
Finally we arrived at the pinnacle of the trip: El Descendimeniento (The Descent) by Caravaggio. The staggeringly large canvas is part of a display that takes up two walls of the gallery. One wall is reserved for the painting itself and the other is for a description of the piece. The depiction is of Christ being taken down from the cross, using a technique called chiaroscuro, or extreme contrast between light and dark. The background of the painting is very dark, while Christ is highlighted in the foreground with glowing pale skin and a white sheet. Mary His Mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, mother of Cleophas, are all depicted in the background with different expressions of sorrow. Standing before this masterpiece, the hairs on my arms stood up and I got goosebumps. Aside from the fact that will probably never see this piece again outside of the Vatican, it is extremely powerful in its depiction of sorrow, though we Chirstians know the hope that is to follow this despair. Fr. Sawicki was so inspired by it, he began to base a Good Friday homily off it (something to look forward to, St. Francis).
This visit was something I will not soon forget. It was a pleasure being able to write this blog entry, especially because we were prohibited from use of photography and I could reflect more on what I remember about some of my favorites. I hope my reflections and descriptions were able to engage your minds and imaginations, as mine were!
Posted by Kate
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