Madrid

Had a short business trip to Madrid. To begin with, I went there for some academic (or business if you prefer the term) reason. But, since Vivian was going with me, we ended up spending a bit of time for sight-seeing.

The two of us have not been to Europe since 2008 (it was Istanbul last time), and Madrid is a terrific city. It’s amazingly easy to get around by the underground, and we meet friendly and helpful people almost everywhere.

Soon after settling in the hotel, we visited Museo Nacional del Prado. In the following days, we had the opporunity of visiting the Museo Thysesen, Palacio Real, as well as a small guided tour in the Real Monasterio de la Encarnacion.

These places have one thing in common – they all have a huge collection of paintings, especially those related to Christianity. Although most people nowadays prefer impressionism, cubism, or other forms of abstract art, I find religious painting a much more interesting subject to study. Yes, the topic is boring and subjects repetitive. However, it calls for solid fundamental techniques, and there are often a whole lot of stories behind each trivial subject on the picture. After all, these paintings are not only meant to be artistic – they are supposed to tell a story or convey a message to the audience.