Some of the links in this posts might be affiliate links.<\/strong><\/strong> If you click on them and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions expressed are my own and entirely personal: I never recommend anything I haven\u2019t personally tried or genuinely appreciate.<\/p>\n I recently returned to the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum in Madrid, drawn by a temporary exhibition that a friend simply could not miss. Officially called Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sof\u00eda, this museum focusses on modern and contemporary art, from the 20th century to the present day. Housed in a former hospital, the collection includes more than twenty thousand works by both Spanish and international artists. As with El Prado and its masterpieces<\/strong><\/a>, the Reina Sof\u00eda can also feel disorienting because of the amount of rooms and artworks. Especially if you are short on time, in this post I suggest ten pieces, by ten different artists, which in my opinion should be included in your visit to the museum.<\/p>\n The Reina Sof\u00eda Museum has an admission ticket<\/a><\/strong> that you can buy online at no extra cost, and it will allow you to skip the queue, which is often endless. The last two hours of opening each day, on the other hand, are free of charge, but the queue is often even longer!<\/p>\n The Reina Sof\u00eda deserves half a day if you want to see all the rooms in the collection. If you have less time, here are 10 artworks by 10 artists that I particularly enjoyed. As when I spoke about the 10 paintings to see at the Prado Museum<\/a><\/strong>, these have also been chosen according to my personal interests and taste.<\/p>\n My virtual tour is in alphabetical order so as not to do anyone an injustice. However, there is one exception: the masterpiece that simply has to open the proceedings: Picasso\u2019s Guernica<\/em>!<\/p>\n An artistic, historical and political masterpiece by Pablo Picasso, Guernica<\/em> is the undisputed highlight that attracts 2 million tourists to the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum in Madrid every year.<\/p>\n In case you are not familiar with the story of Guernica<\/em>, here is a brief overview. It is 1937, and while Paris organises the International Exhibition, a Civil War is being fought in Spain. Picasso is living in Paris and paints Guernica<\/em> to draw public attention to what is happening in his homeland. The immense work, in fact, depicts the horror and devastation of war. The inspiration is the terrible bombing of the Basque town of Guernica, which in just a few hours reduced everything to rubble and decimated the civilian population. However, with Franco\u2019s rise to power in Spain in 1949, the painting remained outside the country for four decades. Picasso explicitly requested that the artwork should not be returned to Spain until the country finally became a republic, free from inconvenient dictatorships. Guernica<\/em> therefore arrived in Madrid only in 1981.<\/p>\n Occupying an entire wall of the museum, Guernica<\/em> is striking for its scale, its monochrome palette and, for those who know a little about art, its symbolism. It has, of course, been defined as a Cubist painting, but also as Symbolist, Expressionist and, why not, Surrealist. There is also a famous anecdote or legend connected to it, in which Picasso gives an extremely cold reply to a German general visiting his studio during the Nazi occupation of Paris:<\/p>\n Of course, the Reina Sof\u00eda also has a long list of other artworks by Picasso. Among the most famous I would mention the Post-Impressionist Mujer en Azul<\/em>, which always reminds me of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland<\/em>!<\/p>\n 2. Allegoria della Guerra \u2013 Isaias Cabez\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n Let us stay in these pre-Second World War years and on the theme of the Spanish Civil War, and here is another rather sombre painting: Alegor\u00eda de la Guerra<\/em> (\u201cAllegory of War\u201d) by Isaias Cabez\u00f3n. This time the artist is Chilean, but he lived in Europe for a long time, especially in Madrid and Paris, like many of his contemporaries.<\/p>\n The painting is quite unsettling, with marching soldiers, broken objects, dead people and a gas mask in the foreground that leaves little to the imagination. I would subtitle it \u201cAnxiety\u201d.<\/p>\n 3. Mercury Fountain \u2013 Alexander Calder<\/strong><\/p>\n The only sculpture in a world of painting (in my personal list of favourite artworks) is the Mercury Fountain<\/em> by Alexander Calder. It is one of the many abstract kinetic sculptures by the American artist, but the only one that shared the Spanish Pavilion with Picasso\u2019s Guernica<\/em> at the 1937 Paris Exhibition.<\/p>\n The one displayed at the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum is a 1:3 scale maquette of the original work, which is not in Madrid. Rather cheeky of the Spaniards! However, it is still fascinating to see these colourful pieces of iron, aluminium and mercury balancing and moving with a breath of air. It is no coincidence that this model is protected by a glass cube all around it.<\/p>\n 4. Girl at the Window \u2013 Salvador Dal\u00ed<\/strong><\/p>\n Dal\u00ed is famous for his melting clocks, figures with extremely long legs, endless desert landscapes filled with strange characters, pierced rocks, and his dreamlike and slightly mad themes. His Surrealism is so unique that it can be recognised in every one of his paintings. Much like his moustache!<\/p>\n For people like me, who do not know a great deal about art, his Cubist, Impressionist and Realist periods are far less well known. Girl at the Window<\/em> comes from one of these lesser-known, early periods. Perhaps it is not his most fascinating painting. But I especially like it when compared with the painterly madness of the following years. It conveys a sense of calm that Dal\u00ed\u2019s Surrealist paintings simply do not have.<\/p>\n 5. Naturaleza Viva \u2013 Maruja Mallo<\/strong><\/p>\n Maruja Mallo is a Spanish artist who spent almost her entire life in Mexico. In the permanent collection of the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum you can see La Verbena<\/em> (a Spanish word defining an open-air concert\/party), a cheerful painting filled with numerous characters and curious figures depicted in Mallo\u2019s distinctive style. However, I liked other paintings even more, which are not usually displayed in this museum. I was in fact lucky enough to visit the Reina Sof\u00eda for the second time during a temporary exhibition dedicated to this very artist. Here I am showing you Naturaleza Viva<\/em> (\u201cLiving Nature\u201d), a painting of incredible simplicity, but for some reason it really touched me. Also notice the beautiful stylised signature (at the top left), typical of Mallo!<\/p>\n 6. Grelots Roses, Ciels en Lambeaux \u2013 Ren\u00e9 Magritte<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019 ha\u2019ve always liked Magritte. He is quirky enough to attract my attention, but not excessively unsettling like some of the others mentioned earlier. His men in bowler hats, for example, intrigue me. As do the pipes, clouds, eggs and other slightly random objects from his famous Surrealist period.<\/p>\n Grelots Roses, Ciels en Lambeaux<\/em> (\u201cPink Bells, Tattered Skies\u201d) is a double painting featuring some of Magritte\u2019s typical elements. He chooses two (almost) complementary colours and places them side by side. Then he adds two subjects that have nothing to do with each other: clouds and bells. And he leaves it all there, open to the viewer\u2019s interpretation. What do you think he wanted to communicate? Tell me in the comments!<\/p>\n 7. Man with a Pipe \u2013 Joan Mir\u00f3<\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps the Reina Sof\u00eda has more famous paitings by Mir\u00f3, such as Caracol<\/em>, Mujer<\/em>, Flor<\/em>, Estrella<\/em> (\u201cSnail, Woman, Flower, Star\u201d). But I chose to show you Man with the Pipe<\/em> because I simply fell in love with it. It is an incredibly simple Surrealist\/Abstract painting. A stylised blue little man on a background of the same colour, a few lines, some black dots, and a small ball on the side, the only slightly three-dimensional element in the image. And then there is a red diagonal line in one corner.<\/p>\n What is that red line? Why is it there? What does it mean? Is the third dot on the little man\u2019s\/alien\u2019s face a nose or a mouth? Is he blowing the little ball? Why does the ball have a shadow while the rest does not? Does it represent smoke? And the three black lines below? The dots? The more I look at it, the less I understand. Wonderful.<\/p>\n 8. Un Mondo, di \u00c1ngeles Santos<\/strong><\/p>\n Un Mundo<\/em> (\u201cA World\u201d) is a large painting by the Surrealist artist \u00c1ngeles Santos. The name can be misleading: it is neither \u00c1ngel nor \u00c1ngela. It is \u00c1ngeles, plural. And it belongs to a Spanish woman who passed away a few years ago at almost a hundred year old. The artwork Un Mundo<\/em> occupies an entire wall at the Reina Sof\u00eda, measuring a full 3\u00d73 metres. It is packed with details and has a distorted perspective, with each element tilted in a different direction. To appreciate all the details, you need to get quite close, which may annoy other visitors. But after all, you paid for the ticket, and this painting is worth it.<\/p>\n Santos painted Un Mundo<\/em> while still a teenager, semi-unknown in the international art scene of her time. Yet with this Surrealist marvel, exhibited at the Sal\u00f3n de Oto\u00f1o in Madrid in 1929, she immediately earned the fame she deserved.<\/p>\n 9.<\/strong> End of the World (The Triunph of Death) \u2013 Jos\u00e9 Guti\u00e9rrez Solana<\/strong><\/p>\n Macabre paintings always capture the public\u2019s attention, and this work by Jos\u00e9 Guti\u00e9rrez Solana is no exception. The subtitle alone, The Triumph of Death<\/em>, speaks for itself. But if that were not clear enough, there are around thirty skeletons walking across the scene to remove all doubt.<\/p>\n The image depicts the drama of people confronting death, physical or moral sin, and the possible punishment that follows. The symbolism is, of course, strong. Themes such as hopelessness, the inexorability of the situation, and innocence in the face of tragedy can also be read. Some characters more or less obviously represent the seven deadly sins. For instance, the greed of the wealthy man in the front row, who is promptly robbed by two mischievous skeletons. It is a kind of Dantean Inferno, with skeletons in place of demons.<\/p>\n If you like Jos\u00e9 Guti\u00e9rrez Solana, I also recommend taking a look at La Tertulia del Caf\u00e9 de Pombo<\/em> (\u201cThe Gathering at the Caf\u00e9 de Pombo\u201d). A different theme, but the style and colours are frankly quite similar.<\/p>\n 10. Il Generalissimo \u2013 C\u00e8sar Pedro P\u00e8rez<\/strong><\/p>\n Last but not least, in the prints section at the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum in Madrid, there are some gems not to be missed. Among those on the theme of war and Nazism, I loved El Generalisimo<\/em> (a play on words that could be translated with \u201cThe super General\u201d). It is an anti-fascist poster from the time of the Spanish Civil War, signed by C\u00e8sar Pedro P\u00e8rez. The image is a satirical caricature of Franco and his supporters: the army, capitalists, and the Church. The controversy speaks for itself.<\/p>\n You could also be interested in:<\/strong> Disclaimer:<\/strong> I am not an art expert nor a tour guide. Everything I have written on this page about the artworks mentioned comes from information provided by the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum, a Lonely Plantet guidebook<\/a><\/strong>, the internet, or my personal observations during my visit to Madrid. If any details are incorrect, please send me a message with references to the correct information, and I will make sure to correct them!<\/p>\n![\"Entrance](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/reinaSofia_civitatis_madridEN.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n10 must-see artworks at the Reina Sof\u00eda Museum<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Guernica \u2013 Pablo Picasso<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"Did you make this horror, master?\"
![\"Guernica:](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_Picasso-guernica.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Allegor\u00eda](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_Cabezon-AlegoriaDeLaGuerra-782x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Mercury](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_Calder-MercuryFountain.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Girl](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_Dali-FiguraEnUnaFinestra-726x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Naturaleza](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_MarujaMallo-NaturalezaViva-734x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Pink](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_Magritte-PinkBellsTatteredSky.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_Miro-ManWithApipe-795x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_AngelesSantos-aWorld.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"End](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_JoseGutierrezSolana-ElTriunfoDeLaMuerte.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"El](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_CesarPedroPerez-ElGeneralisimo-717x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
The 10 must-see paintings in El Prado Museum<\/strong><\/a> in Madrid<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_ElPrado\/Waterstones_spainLonelyPlanetEN-1024x534.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Pinterest](\"https:\/\/www.thatladyfromeurope.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pic\/Europe\/Spain\/Madrid_reinaSofia\/ReinaSofia_EN-683x1024.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n