The Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid is a smaller museum compared to the Met in New York, but its curated collection of artwork offers a unique edge. As visitors walk through the labyrinthine rooms of the Prado, they are confronted with centuries-old paintings that explore potent Christian themes and images in astonishing detail. From Hieronymus Bosch’s surreal depiction of carnality in “The Garden of Earthly Delights” to El Greco’s surreal renditions of Christ’s life and death, each painting strips the viewer bare, leaving them vulnerable and humbled by their shared humanity.
The Prado’s artists didn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths of the human condition, often depicting themes like the inevitability of aging, sickness, and death. For instance, Hans Baldung Grien’s “The Ages of Woman and Death” portrays the perils of passing time on a particularly emaciated-looking Death, who hooks his arm around the arm of an old woman while she tries to hold onto a voluptuous young lady brimming with health and vitality. Meanwhile, in “The Triumph of Death” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the viewer is confronted with an army of skeletons razing the Earth, leaving no hope for salvation. Only a pair of lovers, at the lower right of the picture, remains outside the future they too will have to suffer.
One particularly striking painting at the Prado is “Execution of Torrijos and his Companions on the Beach at Malaga” by Antonio Gisbert Pérez, known as one of the most beautiful of all 19th-century Spanish history paintings. Gisbert confronts the viewer with the enormous emotional tension immediately before the execution and the different sentiments of the doomed men, making the viewer ponder how they would face such an unfair and enforced death.
The Prado’s collection serves as a reality check, reminding visitors of uncomfortable truths about being human. In a world where endless distractions are the norm, the Prado’s curated collection demands that visitors confront these truths. The exquisite craftsmanship, skill, and imagination behind each painting provoke awe in the viewer, leaving them wondering how such detailed and imaginative works were created in the 1500s without access to modern technology. The support of patrons and donors who shared artists’ religious and faith beliefs allowed them to devote their lives to their art, constantly experimenting, improvising, and improving their craft: with astonishing results.
In contrast, the art world today is often driven by hype and celebrity, with few artists given the freedom to pursue their craft over the long term. The market rewards only a select few with little regard for craftsmanship, ingenuity, or the transformative power of art. The “edginess” that is often lauded today appears to preclude artists from taking an edgy approach to universal themes of human life that all of us share. The Prado’s collection serves as a reminder that art can and should do more than simply entertain or distract – it can provoke and inspire, reminding us of the beauty and fragility of the human experience.
