"On the Reverse" - 7/11/2023 - 3/3/2024

The Museo Nacional del Prado and Fundación AXA are undertaking a journey that moves beyond the surface of artistic masterpieces to allow for the contemplation of a fascinating reality: the hidden side of the work of art, its reverse.

Alongside works from the Prado’s own collection, which have been the subject of a lengthy process of research on their other sides that is now presented in the exhibition, "On the Reverse" also includes generous loans from other national and international institutions such as "Assemblage with Graffiti" by Antoni Tàpies, from Fundación Telefónica; "Self-portrait as a Painter" by Van Gogh, from the Van Gogh Museum; or "Artist in his Studio" by Rembrandt, from the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston; giving a total of around 100 works on display.

Curated by artist Miguel Ángel Blanco, for the installation of the exhibition Rooms A and B of the Jerónimos Building have been painted black for the first time. "On the Reverse" takes the form of an open survey which gives maximum freedom to the spatial relationship between the works, devoid of any hierarchy or chronological ordering and including the presence of creations by contemporary artists such as Vik Muniz, Sophie Calle and Miguel Ángel Blanco himself, represented by three of his box-books from the “Library of the Forest”.

Numerous studies have been undertaken to date on individual works which have interesting backs for different reasons and some museums have explored this aspect in a partial manner through small exhibitions focused on the reverse of works in their collections. However, with the collaboration of Fundación AXA it is the Museo Nacional del Prado that is now approaching this subject with the necessary ambition. In addition to undertaking a complete reassessment of the backs of works in its collections, the Museum has also located examples in some of the world’s leading museums which reveal how an appreciation of works of art is enriched when their contemplation is not limited to the front.

This exhibition has a soundtrack composed specifically for it: "Reverso", by Rufus T. Firefly.

English and spanish subtitles available.

For more information: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/whats...