Page 311 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

FUR THER AFIELD  309

in Madrid. Housed in the
former hospice of St Ferdinand,
the museum was inaugurated
in 1929.
It holds a series of bird’s-eye
views and maps of Madrid.
Among them is Pedro Teixeira’s
map of 1656, thought to be
the oldest of the city. There is
also a model of Madrid, made
in 1830 by León Gil de Palacio.
Modern exhibits include a
reconstruction of the collage-
filled study of Ramón Gómez
de la Serna, a key figure of the
literary gatherings in the Café Sorolla’s former studio in the Museo Sorolla
de Pombo (see p303).
ceramics. The house, built in 1910, The collection ranges from
has an Andalucían-style garden the 6th to the 20th century and
designed by Sorolla himself. contains items of exceptional
quality, ranging from less familiar
e Museo Lázaro Goya portraits to a mass of
fob watches, including a cross-
Galdiano shaped pocket watch worn
by Charles V. Among the most
Calle Serrano 122. Map 6 E1.
Tel 91 561 60 84.  Rubén Darío, beautiful objects are a series
Gregorio Marañón. Open of Limoges enamels,
10am–4:30pm Tue–Sat, miniature sculptures, and
10am–3pm Sun. Closed The Saviour, a portrait
public hols. & (free attributed to a student
for last hour). 8 by of Leonardo da
appt. ∑ flg.es Vinci. The museum
features paintings
This art mu seum by English artists
Baroque façade of the Museo de Historia, is housed in the Constable, Turner,
by Pedro de Ribera former mansion- Gainsborough
home of the editor and Reynolds, as
and financier José well as 17th-century
w Museo Sorolla Lázaro Galdiano, and paintings by the likes
consists of his private of Spanish painters
Paseo del General Martínez Campos
37. Map 5 C1. Tel 91 310 15 84. collection of fine and Madrazo, Zurbarán,
 Rubén Darío, Iglesia, Gregorio applied art, bequeathed Charles V’s Ribera, Murillo and
Marañón. Open 9:30am–8pm Tue– to the nation in 1947. fob watch El Greco.
Sat, 10am–3pm Sun. Closed some
public hols. & (free Sat after 2pm, La Movida
Sun). ∑ museosorolla.mcu.es
With Franco’s death in 1975
The former studio-mansion of came a new period of per sonal
Valencian Impressionist painter and artistic lib erty that lasted
Joaquín Sorolla has been left until the mid-1980s. For some,
virtually as it was when he died this translated into the free-
in 1923. dom to stay out late, drinking
Although Sorolla is perhaps and sometimes sampling
best known for his brilliantly lit drugs. The phe nomenon
Mediterranean beach scenes, the was known as la movida, “the
changing styles of his paintings action”, and it was at its most
in tense in Madrid. Analysts
are well represented in the at the time saw it as having
museum, with examples of his serious intellec tual content,
gentle portraiture and a series and la movida has had many
of works representing people lasting cul tural effects on art,
from different parts of Spain. music and literature, like the
Also on display are objects Poster for Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge emergence of satirical film
amassed during Sorolla’s lifetime, of a Nervous Breakdown director Pedro Almodóvar.
including Span ish tiles and

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