portrait of spain masterpieces from the prado qag

Portrait of Spain:
Masterpieces from the Prado
QAG
Stanley Place
South Brisbane
Jul 21 – Nov 4
A $22 Conc $18
C 13-17yrs $11
C U13 Free
136 246
www.qtix.com.au

Not only is Portrait of Spain a magnificent collection of works by the great masters of 16th 17th and 18th century European art, the likes of which has not been seen in Australia before, but there are two world firsts behind its curation: it is the biggest collation of works that has ever left Spain's Prado Museum (one of the most revered art galleries in the world) and it is also the first time that any of its prized art works have crossed the Equator and been shown in the Southern hemisphere.

In all this substantial exhibition has on display over 100 paintings by a virtual who's who of Spanish masters such as El Greco, Velazquez, Ribera, Goya and Murillo and the leading foreign artists who worked for the royal court – greats Peter Paul Rubens, Titan, Anton Raphael Mengs and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. As well as showcasing the world's greatest artists, between them they depict the evolution of three and a half centuries of art in Spain and the underlying social forces which have shaped Spanish society.

Starting with the Royal Collections, which were the basis for the Prado when it was established in 1819, life under the Hapsburg (1516-1700) and Bourbon (1700-1808), aka the "Golden Age' can be glimpsed via mythological, portraits, still lifes and devotional works.

Moving on to Spanish civil society in the 1ate 18th and early 19th centuries, Goya predominated, with some of his major paintings and sketches for some of his most famous works such as 'The Disasters of War' on show. Then this was followed by the emergence of a fledgling Spanish identity in the mid nineteenth century with religious scenes, nudes, portraits and landscapes by the likes of Eduardo Rosales, Joaquin Sorolla and Mariano Fortuny.

And in rounding off the full Iberian experience, La Sala del Prado, an interactive large scale lounge in cutting edge Spanish design with integrated café serving Spanish food, is set up as an integral part of and complement to the exhibition.

La Sala del Prado

In rounding off the full Iberian experience, make time for the fabulous La Sala del Prado: an interactive large scale lounge and tapas bar under the escalators adjacent to the pelican pool. This stunning space in cutting edge Spanish design has been set up as an integral part of and complement to the exhibition and only ticket holders are admitted.

Classical guitaristAdults and children alike can release their inner artist at the 'Still Life' ipad and pencil sketching counters arranged around a massive centrepiece display of fruit and veges or have fun releasing their inner Hapsburg at the photo booths.

Otherwise bring a plate of olives or Spanish cookies to the lounge area and do the Ipad quizzes (adults), play Spanish card games or Pepe's escape trail (children). Or just kick back and relax with a plate of tapas and Spanish wine at the communal table and listen to the flamenco guitarist who plays in the lounge every day between 12 and 2.30pm.

Need to know: While tickets are available at the exhibition, avoid the queues by purchasing online.

Top right painting: Francisco de Goya 1746, Fuendetodos, Zaragoza 1828, Bordeaux Maria Antonia Gonzaga, Marchioness widow of Villafranca (Maria Antonia Gonzaga, marquesa viuda de Villafranca) c.1795 Oil on canvas 87 x 72cm Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid © Photographic Archive, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Middle: Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo 1727 1804, Venice The Agony in the Garden (La Oracion en el Huerto) 1772 Oil on canvas 125 x 142cm Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid © Photographic Archive, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Bottom: Jusepe de Ribera 1591, Jativa Valencia 1652, Naples Saint James (or) Saint Alexius (Santiago? San Alejo?) c.1631/1637 Oil on canvas 202 x 146cm Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid © Photographic Archive, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid