Francisco de Goya Y Lucientes - Self-Portrait in the Workshop, 1790-95
My first time visiting the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando museum situated on the historic Calle de Alcalá, just a short distance along from the Puerta del Sol in the old heart of Madrid. It is one of the most prestigious museums in Madrid yet is unfortunately often overlooked by visitors to the Spanish capital who instead prefer the treasures in the Prado. The Real Academia museum is housed in the former Goyeneche Palace, a Baroque era building with a sober exterior decorated in the Baroque style to reflect the academy's scholarly mission. The museum is just part of a larger, historic institution founded in 1744 after a proposal by the painter Antonio Meléndez to promote the study and creation of the fine arts during the European Enlightenment in the reign of King Philip V, the head of Spain's Bourbon monarchy. The institution offered artistic instruction and debating forums, whilst the museum housed key artworks from Spain's history. The aim was that the Academia would create a sense of national pride, prestige and cultural identity during a period of fast social and aesthetic change. As such the collection consists mainly of Spanish art with selected important works from other European artists. The academy has been very influential throughout its history, exerting an influence on the development of artistic styles in Spain from the Baroque through to the Neoclassicism and Romanticism eras, educating artists of the calibre of Picasso and Salvador Dali as well as numbering Francisco de Goya among its directors. The Academia houses over 1,400 paintings spanning the Renaissance to the 20th century, more than 1,300 sculptures, plus 15,000 drawings and prints. The museum is particularly renowned for its exceptional collection of works by Goya, including his self-portraits and the haunting "Madhouse". Goya’s works in the collection span various phases of his career, from early court portraits to later, more personal and expressive images. I enjoyed seeing one of his original painting palettes on display surrounded with a frame of gilded laurel leaves. A selection of his exceptional etchings are held by the National Chalcography (Calcografía Nacional) and impressively displayed on the ground floor, paired with the original copper plates. As well as Goya, there are masterpieces by Zurbarán, Velázquez, and Rubens. I was both delighted and surprised to come across Guiseppe Arcimboldo's original Primavera, paining of 1563. This is one of the key artworks which inspired my new Floralia series (here), so it was a real thrill to come across the original unexpectedly, and to be able to study it up close, in detail and see just how luminously painted the flower petals and seasonal greenery were. It is meticulously rendered, and I was surprised to learn, that it is the only work by the Italian master in a Spanish public collection. Further notable masterpieces in the Academia's collection include -The Burial of the Sardine, The Madhouse, and Self-Portrait in the Studio by Francisco de Goya, Susanna and the Elders by Peter Paul Rubens, and The Agony in the Garden by El Greco. Other personal highlights were seeing pieces by Eduardo Chillida, and one of Zurbarán's beautifully emotive Agnus Dei paintings. I liked the scholarly atmosphere and sense of history of the Goyeneche Palace building, and was especially fascinated with the architectural details of the old doors in the galleries and their metalwork and antiquated locking system. They were like sculptural works of art in themselves. Wandering the Real Academia, I found that I had the luxury of having most of the galleries to myself as other visitors were few and far between. As mentioned earlier, most tourists seem to prefer the Prado museum. This is a real shame as they are missing out on some historical and contemporary art of the highest quality from the Academia's extensive holdings and beautiful gallery spaces.
Calle de Alcalá 13,
28014,
Madrid
