Museo Reina Sofía

In comparison to the Prado, the Reina Sofía Museum is relatively new and contains artwork from mostly the 20th century. That is, it is very different from the Prado. It officially opened in 1990, but before that had been used as a hospital since the 16th century! Obviously, it has undergone many renovations, but it is now host to a permanent collection of artwork by artists such as Dalí and Picasso, as well as many temporary exhibits. The highlight of this museum is, without a doubt, Picasso’s Guernica. Guernica, a mural sized piece, was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Spanish village, during the Civil War by German and Italian warplanes at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. The city was completely destroyed, and Picasso painted it to draw attention to the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and to raise aid funds. There are many other great works of contemporary art in the Reina Sofia, including sculptures and sketches by famous artists.