Roughly two years ago was the first time I remember actually enjoying an art museum. Before that point, the only experience I had with art museums was, well, forced. My parents would drag my sister and me around for what felt like forever, subjecting me to staring at what were, in my opinion, meaningless pictures on a wall. Maybe I’ve just matured, or maybe it was college that helped me see the beauty in art, but either way, art museums have grown on me and have quickly become one of my favorite places to explore.
Spending a semester in Spain seemed like the perfect opportunity to expand on this hobby of mine and to learn more about Spanish art. The first art museum I visited in Spain was the Museo del Prado in Madrid, which houses the largest collection of Spanish paintings in the world and is the most visited museum in the country. Since I was traveling with a group, we were on a strict schedule and only had two hours to explore the entire museum, complete with three floors and thousands of paintings, drawings and sculptures.
At the Prado, I was most excited to see Diego Velázquez’s painting “Las Meninas.” My eye was immediately drawn to the young girl standing in the middle of the frame, the Infanta Margarita of Spain. Her eyes seem to be looking right at you. She is being waited on by two “meninas” or “maids of honor.” At a closer look, you can see that Velázquez himself is standing on the left side of the frame and holding a paintbrush—an interesting take on a self-portrait and a glimpse into his perspective on this masterpiece.
About a month after my visit to the Museo del Prado, my friends and I decided to take a second trip to Madrid. This time we happened to be there on a free-entry day to the Museo Reina Sofía, Spain’s museum of 20th century art. I only had one goal in going to this museum—I wanted to see Picasso’s “Guernica.”
After weaving our way through crowds, up the stairs, and through several rooms full of incredible art, we finally turned the corner to see this incredible 25.6 feet long and 11 feet tall canvas covering almost the entire wall. Picasso painted “Guernica” in reaction to the Nazi bombing of the town of Guernica, in the Basque Country, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War.
“Guernica” depicts a mother holding her dead child, animals and people crying out in pain, mangled body parts, and a woman trapped in a burning building. Through these gruesome images, you could feel Picasso’s message against war. I was surrounded by dozens of tourists, all of us simultaneously admiring Picasso’s skills with the paintbrush while recognizing the atrocities of war and the real impacts it has on people’s lives. I felt like the artwork was alive in that moment.
The last museum that I visited during my time in Spain was the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia. Though it was much smaller than the museums in Madrid, it was equally as beautiful. As my friends kept themselves entertained by mimicking the poses in the portraits, I found myself captivated by the collection of paintings by Joaquín Sorolla. He was a Spanish painter, born in Valencia. His style was very different from Picasso’s; it was realistic and much more colorful than the black-and-white “Guernica.” I felt like I got a glimpse of Valencia through Sorolla’s paintings.
My favorite Sorolla painting in this museum was titled “La primavera” or “Labradora valenciana,” which means “Spring” or “Valencian Farm Girl.” The painting depicts a young girl, dressed in the typical Valencian style with a skirt and bodice made out of silk. She has buns on either side of her head, covering her ears, reminding me slightly of the hairstyle Princess Leia wears in “Star Wars.” She seems to be picking and arranging flowers in her hand, posed in front of a gorgeous background that reminded me of the scenery I saw through the windows of the train rides I often took through the countryside of Valencia.
I’m so grateful that I finally learned to appreciate art, because doing so allowed me to understand Spanish culture from a new perspective. There are so many more art museums to visit in Spain, and I hope I can return someday to explore them all.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.