May in June

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I'm usually not the sophisticated culture buff, trying my best to stay clear of museums and such. But I have some time to kill in Madrid, the home of some of the finest art museums in the world. And, since my student ID gets me in for free, what the hell...? My choice is Museo Del Prado, one of three world-class art establishments in the city. The choice is mostly based on the fact that this is where the classical art hangs. Paintings you can actually determine what they are portraying, as opposed to "modern" art. Picasso fans, do not bother here...

There certainly are a vast number of paintings. Probably a very impressive collection, had I been better versed in the area. My hope is to find the work of Goya, one of few Spanish artists I'm familiar with. My goal is accomplished towards the end of the tour. The war paintings are the most impressive.

Particularly "3 de Mayo de 1808" catches my attention. The execution of civilians by the military - my guess is of the Napoleon army - is obviously not a pleasant scenery, but nevertheless historically accurate. Would this have been a modern-day photo, the photographer would be in serious jeopardy...Wonder if Francisco de Goya got himself into trouble...?

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