Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-03
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN.
Kill adrid'S Great Art
Gallery.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

No more striking landmark of the great
ness of the Spanish empire in the days Of
the Hapsburg kings is to be found than
| the Prado Art Gallery in Madrid. This
gallery occupies an unpictUresGue build
| ing that stands upon part of the famous
| ''pratum.' or meadow, that was often
| celebrated by Lope de Vega and other
early Spanish poets. The Prado has long
| since been surrounded by handsome build
| ings. and is one of the fashionable prom
enades of the Spanish capital. There is
another gallery in Madrid where the work
| of contemporary artists may be seen, but
the Prado is interesting not merely as
! picture gallery-and one of the greatest
/ in Europe-but also a Spanish monu-
ment. Here the one-time glory OF a great
country is reflected in immortal canvases
! done by foreign painters, VINO focked TO
! the Spanish court when its bounty was
! to be shifted from afar. and by natives of
| the country. whose genius was given an
! opportunity to develop when the Span
| sh crown was liberal patron of paint
| ing.
| When painting fiourshed in Spain it's
| throne was the richest in Europe and the
| empire was one upon which the sun never
set Nowadays the visitor to the Prado
| survive so poor has grown the former
| liberal patron of the arts And because
! of the backwardness of education in Spain
| most of the pesetas paid at the doors OF
| the Prado are contributed BY foreigners.
| Art students declare the collection of
trea SureS in the Prado TO he greater than
| that in the Louvre. but students Of his
| tory find the gallery more fascinating be-
| cause of the light ii throws upon history
| than upon account of the Importance of
| the collection it contains
| The paintings in the Prado constitute
large part of the picture gallery of the
| kings of Spain The building was begun
! by the architect. Juan de Nilaneuva, I'M
| der the direction of Charles III in 1855,
| twenty years before the battle of Trafal-
| gar. 1t was interrupted by the French in
! sion and finished by Ferdinand VII. 1t
| was intended as the container of a collec-
ton of geological specimens. and even the
extensive alterations made recently did
not serve to make il a good building in
! which to hang pictures. but its creakine
| floors are vocal under the footsteps of
countless pilgrims who explore its dmly
| lighted chambers to feast their eyes upon
paintings that are known throughout the
civilized world
Spain owes her vanished glory as an
art center TO the taste and enterprise of
the h ouse of
House of Hapsburg Hapsburg. 7 he
49, Prado represents
Va Spain at the
height of its splendor and upon the brink
of decline. subsisting by pillage and gov
erned. not inappropriately by the de-
scendants of family of Swiss bandtti.
When Charles | began his work as a
collector of paintings and other objects
of art he had no rival worthy of notice
polished gentleman and a critic OF paint
ing and sculpture. 1t is said that he knew
Raphael when he saw 1t without see
ing the signature and that the best imi
tation could not misead him. He under
took to rob Rome and Antwerp of their
most valuable art treasures, and what
the gold-tipped scepter of the royal
Croesus touched was claimed Off Spain.
He made himself the personal friend Of
the leading painters of the time.
Titan was of his faNoriteS when he
had just become famous by SURPRISING
Zucatti and Bellini. under whom he had
studied. Francis had invited him to Paris
and paid him every compliment in ad-
diton to giving him important commits
sons. Charles met him and Immediately
| ordered him to paint his portrait. Two
paintings were made at Bologna and the
painter then accompanied the king to
Madrid where he was made a count pala
tine and Knight of st. James. He
i'm NJ ediatey began series of pictures in
Madrid some of which are now among
the major treasures OF the Prado gall
lery.
Charles declared that Spain was. and
was to remain, the most glorious empire
in the world, South Americas limitless
supply of gold was to keep its Golfers
bursting, and it Hehooved its monarch to
direct a part of that wealth toward en-
rching the capital with art and en-
couraging the upgroWth of painting and
sculpture in the provinces. It's palaces
and libraries were also to eclipse those
of other European countries. The adven-
turous among the young men of Spain
were encouraged to set out for America
as commissioners or explorers The studi-
Gus were encouraged to go to Italy or
Belgium to learn painting. Nations, like
individuals, prosper best by industry, but
Spain was to flourish upon loot
! The activities Of the Hapsburg mon
| archs soon began to show material re-