Following In The Footsteps of Spain’s Great Artists

Whether you consider yourself to be an art lover or not, you probably know that Spain has produced some of the world’s greatest masters. You may even know that the country is home to one of the most extraordinary art museums on earth, the Prado. However, that is not the only landmark in which to discover Spain’s amazing artistic legacy. Here, four of the country’s most legendary artists and the places to go to find their most celebrated works:

Pablo Picasso

Probably one of the most famous painters in the entire world, Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga in 1881. He studied in Barcelona and Madrid before eventually moving to Paris at the turn of the century. Although France became his permanent home, the father of Cubism is always closely identified with Barcelona. Take a tour of the world-famous Museu de Picasso to see some of the painter’s early work, or head to the Museo Reina Sofia to see the Guernica. Great hotels in Barcelona include the Catalonia Ramblas and the Hotel Icaria Barcelona.

Francisco de Goya

Francisco de Goya was born in 1746 in Fuendetodos, but he spent much of his life in Madrid and Italy. Goya is often called the last of the “Old Master” painters, and his most famous works do stay true to that old-fashioned style. Many of the painter’s celebrated pieces are scattered across the globe, in popular art museums around Europe and beyond. However, his legendary The Third of May 1808 may be found in Madrid’s Prado Museum. Recommended hotels in Madrid include the Hotel Rex and the Husa Princesa.

Diego Velazquez

This 17^th-century painter was born in 1599 in Seville. Throughout his life, he accumulated an impressive body of work. However, Diego Velazquez is probably best known for his striking realism—especially within his portraits. Members of royalty and other important figures commissioned Velazquez to depict themselves and loved ones. His most famous painting, Las Meninas, is of one of the king’s young daughters and the staff who waited on her. It hangs in the Prado in Madrid to this day.

Salvador Dalí

Everyone knows the surrealist signature of Salvador Dali—his melting clocks and morphing figures are easy to identify. After being born in 1904 in Figueres, Dali went on to study Cubism and Dadaism in Madrid. His unique brand of modern art can be found all across the globe. In particular, his most famous painting (The Persistence of Memory, full of melting clocks) hangs in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Visitors to Spain should check out the Teatre-Museu Dali in Figueres, entirely dedicated to the legendary artist. And, of course, you know where to find excellent hotels in Figueres!