Obras Maestras de Madrid
This whole room is a work of art. "Equal Parallel:Guernica Bengasi" by Richard Serra. It is at the Museo Reina Sofia, the same museum that houses Picasso's Guernica. I do not pretend to know the technical aspects of this work, or its artistic lineage or any of the intellectual information about it, or many other pieces of art, for that matter. But I do know I liked it. I liked the use of perspective. I liked the contrast between the windows with light flowing in and the dark windows, which seem to be sucking the light away. I also like the solid weight of the metallic slabs, grounding the whole scene. Finally, I just dig the fact that the whole room is the work.
I was not allowed to take pictures of the Picasso for which this work was at least partially named, but I can say it is one of my favorite pieces of art ever, and I will strive to see it whenever I am in Madrid. For those who don't know, Guernica was created in reaction to the bombing of the Basque town of the same name during the Spanish Civil War. To me, Picasso captured all of the horror of war in a way that one can immediately and profoundly understand. While this work by Serra is solid, calm, and orderly, Picasso's Guernica is charged, chaotic and emotional. It was fascinating to see them both in the same afternoon.
Madrid is filled with museums, but the best known are the Museo del Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Each is fantastic, each is different than the other, and none of them should be missed. I can't say one is my favorite over the other, but I have favorite works at each. At the Prado, I have to see Goya's "The Second of May" and "The Third of May", "Las Meninas" by Velazquez, and "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Bosch. At the Thyssen-Bornemisza they have maserpieces like "The Dream" by Franz Marc, "Swaying Dancer" by Degas and "Quappi in a Pink Jumper" by Max Beckman.
Any one of these museums alone is worth a trip to Madrid. Having all three is almost an embarrassment of riches.
All of that art can wear one out, so afterwards, I recommend you find one of the hundreds of another type of museum. This kind houses works of art in small bites, composed from materials like ham, sausage, anchovy and garlic. These media, in turn, mix magically with liquids like beer, vermouth, sherry or wine. Whether a taberna, bodega, or bar, Madrid offers no shortage of beautiful settings in which to enjoy beautiful food. On this particular day of art, we went back to Taberna La Dolores.
With its floor-to-ceiling shelves lined with an impressive - if somewhat inexplicable - array of German beer steins, extravagantly tiled front exterior, and sexy vintage signage, this taberna is one of our favorites. The tapas are tasty, the beer cold (and cheap) and the vibe relaxed and unpretentious. A perfect place for an afternoon pick-me-up following a morning of Goya, Velazquez, Picasso, and El Greco.
Many of the best taverns and bodegas are the oldest. In fact, I would venture to say you don't see many new ones. In any case, on this trip we had the good pleasure of enjoying a couple. In addition to La Dolores (open since 1906), we ate what is generally considered by Madrilenos to be the best Tortilla Española in all of Madrid at this place:
Well over 100 years old, Bodega de la Ardosa is a wonderful, tiny little joint selling booze and, yes, the best Tortilla Española on the planet. It is so good you have to call and reserve one ahead of time, as they disappear immediately otherwise. My cousin reserved the tortilla and two tables - wine casks with table tops attached, actually - in a private little spot located behind the bar. We actually had to crouch down and step under the bar itself to get in. It felt very VIP, sipping vermut, eating an eye-watering array of sublime food, and laughing as envious Spaniards looked on inquisitively.
We would have made a great subject for a painting.
