Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado December 15, 2012–March 30, 2013

view slideshow

► Información en español sobre la exposición.

The MFAH presents more than 100 masterworks from one of the world’s most renowned collections of European painting. Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado comes to Houston on exclusive U.S. loan as part of a new initiative by the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid to broaden access to its holdings.

The exhibition tells the story of the evolution of painting in Spain from the 16th through 19th centuries and explores how artists reflected the sweeping changes in society, culture, politics, and religion that contributed to the development of a modern Spanish identity. Masterpieces by the leading painters of the day from each of the four centuries are included, with works by El Greco, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Goya. Artists who worked for the royal court and directly influenced the development of painting in Spain are also well represented, with superb paintings by Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. Portrait of Spain comes to the MFAH following the premiere at the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane, Australia, the first stop on this two-venue tour.

► For more, watch this brief behind-the-scenes video.