A fresh perspective......

Published on isbi School News dated Friday 8th of November 2013

A group of Oundle School artists and staff recently visited Madrid's museums and galleries to take in the breathtaking architecture and artworks the city has to offer.

On the first day, they visited Reina Sofia - a wonderful museum full of modern art.

Pupil, Gloria Yu (18) commented, 'Picasso's 'Guernica' was definitely the highlight of my visit there. I was speechless when I saw it; standing in front of it was one of the most overwhelming experiences I have ever had. It was such a pleasure to be able to observe and analyse the magnificent painting in detail.'

On the second day, the group visited the Sorolla Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

Gloria added, 'The Sorolla had a great impact on me because it was so peaceful and serene. The honey coloured house was quaint and natural looking and it was concealed by a front garden which gave it more of an intimate feel. It was a delight to walk around Joaquin Sorolla's house and see his paintings.'

Eliza Smith (16) commented, 'Sorrolla's work was beautifully vibrant, it was as if the light poured out of his oil paintings.'

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum exhibited a variety of inspiring works by world-famous artists such as Degas, Pollock, Rembrandt, Lichtensten, Van Gogh, van Eyck, Kirchner, Heckel, Monet and many more� and the museum provided a very good overview of the development and evolution of western art. That same day the group went to El Rastro, an open air flea market. The market was very lively and Bohemian; many stalls were selling jewellery and vintage clothing, and street performers entertained local Spanish people whilst music playing.

Pupils spent their penultimate day at the Prado - an impressive museum with many prominent paintings and sculptures. It has a huge collection of Goya's paintings; visitors are able to see how his art evolved and became so expressionistic. Pupils were fascinated by Hieronymus Bosch's triptych Garden of Earthly Delights from the 15th to 16th century, and his other "apocalyptic" art. Vel�zquez's works too, were extraordinary; Las Meninas was of course the centre of interest in the museum.

Eliza added, 'In the weeks running up to our trip we had been studying 'Las Meninas' in our art history class and the knowledge that I would be able to see it in person really excited me. Not surprisingly when I finally found the painting itself there were many people huddled around it, although after a while they moved on and I managed to push my way to the front. The drama within the painting was heightened by seeing it in person rather than seeing it projected onto a white wall in the classroom. 'Las Meninas' was one of the many amazing pieces of art in the Prado, and I felt the need to return in the afternoon and continue my cruise around the Museum.'

On the last day, the group visited St. Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts, which is filled with works by Spanish artists, some of whom were members of the Royal Academy: Sorolla, Eduardo Chicharro Aguera, Cecilio Gallardo, Enrique Martinez-Cubells, and Fernando Labrada.

Gloria concluded, 'The most memorable part of this museum for me was the Goya collection. There weren't crowds in the museum, and it was really nice to be able to appreciate and concentrate on the art quietly.'

Eliza concluded, 'It was lovely being able to come across a copy mould of the 'Gates of Paradise' as in my other art history class we had just finished studying the originals that are situated in Florence. It was really beneficial being able to tell the other pupils that were there what was happening within each panel. Since returning back to School after the art tour to Madrid I feel that my attitude to artwork and my own artwork has changed and I am already finding it easier to relate to pieces of art that I have not seen before and to use the artists' ideas and turn them into my own work.'