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Images from Madrid, March/April 2015
“Madrid: Through the Eyes of the Artist” with Robert Liberace
We had a wonderful trip to Spain with our friends from The Art League of Virginia!
Special thanks to Margaret Cerutti for her hard work in coordinating this memorable, inspirational, and educational week!
Our visit included multiple visits to the massive Prado Museum, which holds works by painters such as Goya, Fortuni, Velazquez, Titian, and Rubens. A highlight was a private viewing of paintings and drawings that Rob had picked ahead of time to be brought out to the Print and Drawing room. The Group also visited the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the massive Royal Palace of Madrid with its extensive Campo del Moro Gardens. We also visited the Museo Cerralbo, a richly furnished home (now museum) with rich collections of art and furnishings, near the center of Madrid.
One afternoon was spent at the absolutely stunning Sorolla Museum and gardens, which was the home of one of Rob’s favorite 19th/20th century Spanish painters, Joachin Sorolla. We all spent a long time in the back room where we were shown hundreds of drawings and paintings in Sorolla’s collection. I think we all wanted to move in!
Finally, we took two day trips, encompassing the beautiful and historically significant city of Toledo where some of the group visited the El Greco Museum, and then the Moorish castle Alcazar in the gorgeous old city of Segovia. We also explored the city of Avila, which holds much of its 16th century charm and is home to an impressive number of Romanesque and Gothic churches, and then Segovia, a picturesque city which is home to a massive and remarkably preserved Roman aqueduct, built about 2000 years ago.
It was an incredible week and very interesting to view the somber yet exciting processions held throughout the city during Easter week. Wow, I meant to keep this brief, but it was impossible without leaving out memorable experiences.
Photos by Lina Liberace, Robert Liberace and Bogusia Thoemmes.
Pallacio Real
Views inside what was once a private collection and home – the Museo Cerralbo
The castle in Segovia
Taking a break in Segovia
The unvelievably intact Roman aquaduct running through Segovia.
Views of the ancient walls of Avila
Outside the walls of Avila
Several views of Toledo
A beautiful church in Toledo
Toledo
The group takes a nice lunch break near the Prado
Visiting the Corolla Museum
He definitely was not afraid of paint!
We had a private tour to see the drawing and painting storage rooms at the Sorolla museum.
Sorolla often painted his children.
Sorolla’s gardens
The group gathered in the hotel lobby
One of Rob’s all time favorite Spanish artist: Velazquez, outside the Prado
One of the many parades quietly celebrating Easter week in Spain.
One of Madrid’s art stores
A Sargent at the Thyssen
One of many markets which take place in the streets of Madrid
Sargent’s “The On Seller” in the Thyssen
A Sorolla study
…and another.
Jusepe de Ribera
A Sorolla study at the Print and Drawing Room
One of Rob’s favorites… a tiny watercolor by fortune
A small Sargent study at the Sorolla Museum. The two artists were friends.
A Sorolla ink study in The Prado
A detail of an ink and guache
A small Gandolfi red chalk drawing
Another fine watercolor from Fortuny, another of Rob’s favorite Spanish artists. Fortuny was from Barcelona.
We visited his son’s (the famous fashion designer) museum in Venice ten years earlier, in which there were quite a few Fortuny originals. It is always a priviledge to see his work first hand.
A lovely old building in Segovia
Only in Spain!
