The Prado Museum: A Collection of Wonders, narrated by Jeremy Irons, was screened last Monday, Nov. 18 at Pollak Theatre. The film explored the paintings and other art pieces from the world famous Prado Museum.
The artwork, paintings, sculptures and others tell the story of Spain throughout history. Some of the most notable pieces of art featured were Francisco Goya’s The Third of May, Diego Velazquez’s Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest, and Rogier van der Weyden’s The Descent from the Cross.
In the film, Irons explained how Maria Isabella of Braganza began this museum because of her love for different types of art and how people have added to it, along with telling the story of Spain’s rich history over time.
Although Irons said he wasn’t an expert in art, most of the audience wasn’t either. Like us, Irons can see and appreciate the beauty of the art and how much we can learn from it.
It was interesting to see art pieces that can tell a story throughout history. Sometimes it’s hard sitting in a history class to connect to the people and places that seem so far removed from where we are today, but seeing art or other artifacts that tell the story of all of the kings, queens, wars and even emotions of the people during different periods in history gives a whole new perspective on what we read from a textbook.
Since a lot of us may never get the chance to go to Spain to see this museum or these paintings in person, this was a great opportunity to experience the beautiful works of people who lived so long ago and help us to see, understand and connect with their stories and journeys.
IMAGE TAKEN from Wikipedia
