The Prado Museum is, for many, the best art gallery in the world. Since its foundation in 1819, it has preserved important collections of Spanish artists such as Velázquez and Goya, as well as other great European masters, to the extent that it is impossible to fully understand the works of Titian, Rubens, or Bosch without visiting this centuries-old institution. The variety and quality of the Prado's collections reflect the unique character of a museum shaped by the personal tastes of collector monarchs, the historical circumstances of modern Spain, and successive acquisitions, legacies, and donations. All of this forms the current collection of the Prado Museum.