THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Andrew Ferren
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| "The Baptism of Christ," by El Greco, in Gallery 9B. |
Spurred by his culturally enlightened second wife, Maria Isabel de Braganza, Ferdinand created the Royal Museum of Paintings in Madrid in 1819. Today, vastly expanded and known as
the Prado, the museum is one of the world’s great repositories of Western art. To honor its bicentennial, the museum has organized a yearlong celebration, starting last November with three days of “puertas abiertas” (free admission) that drew nearly 30,000 people. There are special exhibitions in the museum galleries, in parks and plazas around Madrid, and in museums across Spain. The Prado is even recreating the painting and furniture arrangement of “their Majesties’ retiring room,” complete with Ferdinand’s personal toilet. [
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| The stately neoclassical building that houses the Prado will be unwrapped later this year. |
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| "The Baptism of Christ," by El Greco; 1597 - 1600; Oil on canvas
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