Historical overview of the Prado museum and its collections.

Sixty renowned works from one of the most impressive and significant museums of the world.

"Author Javier Sierra embarks on a grand tour of the Prado museum in this historical novel that illuminates the fascinating mysteries behind some of the greatest paintings in the world--complete with gorgeous, full-color inserts of artwork by Raphael, Boticelli, and other masters"--

The Director of the Museo del Prado offers a small-scale walking tour highlighting the best of the Prado's magnificent collections of European paintings, sculptures, and objects d'art. 250 full-color illus.

The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and is considered one the greatest museums of art in the world. The numerous works by Francisco de Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Diego Velázquez, El Greco, Titian, Peter Paul Rubens and Hieronymus Bosch are some of the highlights of the collection. Comprehensively showcasing the permanent collection of the Prado, this magnificent book is the first of its kind to be published by the Prado Museum, covering the collection from Ancient Sculpture to the 19th century. The book is arranged chronologically by the date of the artworks featured, creating a rich dialogue between artists from different schools working in the same period. There are sections looking in depth at specific painters (Velazquez, Titian, Greco and Bosch), and at the themes of still life, portraits and religious paintings. The Prado Masterpieces can be read as a complete history of art, as illustrated by the careful selection of highlights from the Prado's Collection.

Goya was the last of the old masters and the first of the moderns. The Black Paintings presage surrealism and other aspects of the 20th century artistic vision. The series forms a star part of the Prado's collections.