Museum of the Academy of San Fernando (Madrid)

J. L. Gamallo. Certainly The Prado Museum is the most visited museum in Madrid, not in vain is one of the first museums worldwide. The image of tourists patiently queue for storing and it has become customary for transiting the Museum. For those who want to enjoy a world-class museum, no queues and no influx of people, nothing better than a visit to the Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, at the beginning of Alcala Street, a couple of minutes from the Puerta del Sol. The visit really worthwhile, and Wednesday morning is free.

The origins of the Academy back to 1726, when the painter Antonio Melendez to King Philip V proposed the creation of an Academy of Arts.But it was not until 1752 when the project would become a reality, and its founder King Ferdinand Vi, and hence its name. The current building was not completed until the reign of Charles III, who also provided use as Natural History Cabinet.

The current museum opened in 1986 and covers a spectrum of five centuries of art from the Renaissance to the latest trends of the century. The 59 rooms of the Museum offers a wide selection of the Museum's collections (over 2000 works of art, including paintings and sculptures and 15,000 drawings). Among the outstanding works that you can see there are several works by Zurbaran, Ribera Mary Magdalene, the only painting by Arcimboldo preserved in Spain, dream Pereda Knight, the scene of Susanna and the Elders by Rubens.

Nineteenth century are works of Vicente López, the Madrazo or Esquivel. Twentieth century Sorolla's paintings and Cecilio Pla, de Sotomayor Vázquez Diaz, portraits and landscapes of Benjamin Palencia, Lozano, Genaro Lahuerta, etc ...

Special mention deserve the 13 paintings by Goya which houses the museum, highlighting its two self-portraits and other very famous series of paintings, including portraits of La Tirana, Moratín, Godoy, Fernando VII, or popular scenes as the Burial of the sardine or bullfight.

Just to see this "small" but important series of paintings by Goya Museum should be the object of our visit, and also with the safety of your quiet contemplation.The sculpture also brings out the Spanish sculptural evolution from the seventeenth century to the present day and also include  with prominent examples including the San Bruno of Manuel Pereira or the Dolorosa of Pedro de Mena, the Portrait of Ferdinand VI and Portrait of doña Barbara of Braganza,  and Philip V riding of Manuel Francisco Álvarez de la Peña, the set of the Massacre Fool's because José Ginés to Charles IV, the Portrait of Antonio Teixeira Lopes Benlliure and Gil, Head of a Woman by Picasso, Pablo Gargallo Academy, etc..