Prado Museum opens Madrazo show on 13 October

The Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado) in Madrid opens Ricardo de Madrazo (1852-1917): drawings and watercolours on 13 October 2026. The exhibition marks the first show at the museum devoted exclusively to the artist and runs until 17 January 2027.

Prado Museum opens a Ricardo de Madrazo exhibition

The exhibition centres on work by Ricardo de Madrazo, the youngest son of the painter Federico de Madrazo and the least known member of his family. It brings together works on paper, sketchbooks, drawings and watercolours, presenting material gathered through the museum’s acquisitions in recent years.

Pedro J. Martínez Plaza, from the museum’s 19th-century painting collection, is curating the exhibition. The selection follows Madrazo’s artistic range from copies of old paintings to Orientalist subjects and genre scenes linked to journeys across Spain, Europe and North Africa. The Madrid exhibition listing gives 13 October 2026 as the opening date and 17 January 2027 as the closing date.

Madrazo’s works on paper meet the museum’s history

Ricardo de Madrazo was born in Madrid in 1852 and died in 1917. His subject matter connects the new exhibition with the wider Spanish painting traditions represented in the collection, while the emphasis on paper gives visitors a view of studies and works distinct from a presentation focused only on finished oil paintings.

The building that houses the museum was designed by Juan de Villanueva in 1785 for a Natural History Cabinet commissioned by King Charles III. Its purpose changed under Ferdinand VII, and the Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures opened to the public in November 1819. The institution’s official museum history records how the original building later expanded as the collections grew.

That history gives the 13 October 2026 opening a specific setting: a temporary exhibition about a nineteenth-century member of the Madrazo family enters a museum whose own collection developed from royal holdings and later acquisitions. The show therefore links a recent collecting history with the building’s long role as a public museum.

Visiting Prado Museum: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The exhibition begins on 13 October 2026 and continues through 17 January 2027 at the Prado Museum, Paseo del Prado, s/n, 28014 Madrid.
• The listing confirms the exhibition as an event at the museum. It does not announce a closure or a separate access restriction for the show.
• The venue is served by Atocha, Banco de España and Estación del Arte metro stations, with Madrid-Atocha available on the local rail network.
• The exhibition concerns drawings, watercolours and sketchbooks, so visitors will encounter works on paper alongside the broader museum collection.
• English-speaking visitors should note that Spanish is the official language of Spain and that the national currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Prado Museum

When does the Ricardo de Madrazo exhibition take place at Prado Museum?

It runs from 13 October 2026 to 17 January 2027 at the museum in Madrid.

What is the Ricardo de Madrazo exhibition about?

It presents works on paper, sketchbooks, drawings and watercolours by Ricardo de Madrazo, whose work includes Orientalist and genre subjects.

Where is Prado Museum and how do you get there?

The museum is at Paseo del Prado, s/n, 28014 Madrid. Nearby transport includes Atocha, Banco de España and Estación del Arte metro stations and Madrid-Atocha local trains.