Museo del Prado exhibits miniatures

For the first time, the Museo del Prado (Madrid, Spain) presents thirty-six miniatures and  three small portraits from its unknown collection. During the presentation of this exhibition, the Museum has also released a publication that collects and analyzes a total of one hundred sixty-four miniatures and sixteen small portraits that come from its funds.

Painted with gouache on vellum, ivory tablets or paper, the miniatures represented the most intimate part of painting because, they generally belong to the sphere of private life. They also performed a state function, as the monarchs used to give jewelry with miniatures as a gift to ambassadors and foreign emissaries on the occasion of their marriage, proclamation or signing of treaties, conventions and agreements.

Visitors will have the chance to see the delicate technique used by the artists. Among the three small portraits that cannot be considered miniatures, visitors will see the oil portrait on copper of Juana Galarza de Goicoechea, 1805, a Goya's work that belongs to the series painted by the artist for the wedding of his son Javier with Gumersinda Goicoechea y Galarza.

Among the thirty-six works that meet the definition of miniatures we can find works by Spanish miniaturists from the nineteenth century such as the portrait of Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Pacheco, IX Duke of Osuna (1805 h. ), by miniaturist Guillermo Ducker (c. 1799-1800) and the portrait of the journalist Ramón de Navarrete y Fernández Landa by artist Cecilio Corro (c. 1844).

Date: until February 26.
Location: Museo del Prado. Paseo del Prado s/n. 28014. Madrid. Spain.
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 8pm.