Charles V and the Fury by Leone and Pompeo Leoni, now exceptionally shown without the armour and nude as a classical hero, welcomes visitors and leads them into the Central Gallery. Displayed in the ante-room (Room 24) of that space are two of the Museum’s most important works: The Descent from the Cross by Van der Weyden and The Annunciation by Fra Angelico. Visitors then move into the first section of the Central Gallery (Rooms 25 and 26) which has works by Bosch, Patinir, Titian, Correggio, Raphael, Juan de Flandes, Veronese, Tintoretto and Guido Reni, among other great Italian and Flemish artists of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Titian’s portraits of the early Habsburgs, presided over by Charles V at the Battle of Mühlberg, remain at the heart of the Central Gallery (Room 27) opposite two of the Furies which flank the entrance to Room XII. Rarely before has this iconic space in the Prado so merited the title of sancta sanctorum and one of the most inspiring moments in the visit is provided by the juxtaposition for the first time since 1929 (if not earlier) of Las Meninas and The Spinners, alongside a moving “polyptych” of Velázquez’s Buffoons.
The final part of the Gallery (Room 28 and 29) displays religious and mythological paintings by Rubens, the latter including a conscious reference to Titian through the Danaë and a vibrant dialogue between Rubens and Goya’s two depictions of Saturn. In addition, Velázquez’s Surrender of Breda acquires a new context with its inclusion among the equestrian portraits of The Duke of Lerma and The Cardinal Infante don Fernando.
In the North Wing rooms that flank the Gallery (Rooms 8B, 9B and 10B) Ribera and Spanish naturalism, including Maíno and Zurbarán, coexist with its European equivalent (Caravaggio and Latour), while Clara Peeters is shown in the company of contemporary Spanish still life painters. El Greco is paired with Artemisia Gentileschi and there is also a grouping of work by portraitists such as Sánchez Coello, Sofonisba Anguissola and Anthonis Mor.
The South area (Room 16B) displays the work of Spanish masters of the second half of the 17th century with Murillo and Cano as the leading figures, alongside work by contemporary artists of the French school, such as Claude Lorrain, and Flemish artists such as Van Dyck.
This new installation at the Museum includes a great deal, but still more has been left out. Some of the masterpieces not featured in it can be seen in adjacent galleries, including Titian’s “Bacchanals” and The Immaculate Conception by Tiepolo which bids the visitor farewell. In order to see other great works, such as Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights and Rembrandt’s Judith, we will have to wait until mid-September and for what we trust will be the definitive return to normality.
