The building which houses the collection was designed in the 18th century by the architect Francisco Sabatini to be built as a hospital, and which was later modified and extended on numerous occasions. At one point, it was the object of urban planning which included its demolition.
GUERNICA (Pablo Picasso) |
In 1977, after much debate, this was declared an artistic historic monument. Its geographical situation in the city of Madrid – beside the Atocha roundabout, opposite the botanical gardens and close to the Prado Museum – makes this building an ideal headquarters for a national museum. The old Museum of Contemport Art was situated in the university area, far from the historic-cultural centre of Madrid. It was vital that if they wanted to house a painting as emblematic and famous as Picasso´s Guernica – exhibited temporarily in the Casón del Buen Retiro, attached to the Prado Museum – the headquarters of the museum would have to be more central.
Between 1980 and 1988, restauration work was started by Antonio Fernández Alba and finished by José Luis Iñiguez de Ozoño and Antonio Vázquez de Castro. Its three famous transparent lift towers were designed in collaboration with the English architect, Ian Ritchie, and which now give a modern image to the building.
In 1988, it was made a national museum; Tomás Llorens being its first director, substituted by María del Corral in 1990. She was later substituted by José Guirao Cabrera in 1994. He was later substituted by Juan Manuel Bonet in 2000.
On 7th June 2004, Ana Martínez Aguilar, has been appointed director of the museum.
The museum´s permanent collection is housed on two floors, the second and fourth. The reason for this separation is conceptual – to differenciate the vanguard artists of the early 20th century, until 1939, the end of the civil war – from the contemprary works, from 1939 until today.
On the second floor, works are exhibited by:
Second floor |
- ANGLADA CAMARASA (Hermenegildo Anglada-Camarasa). Barcelona 1871-Pollensa 1959
- NONELL (Isidro Nonell). Barcelona 1873-Barcelona 1911
- SOLANA (José Gutierrez Solana). Madrid 1886-Madrid 1945
- DELAUNAY (Sonia Delaunay). Gradsihsk 1885-París 1979
- LIPCHITZ (Jacques Lipchitz). Lithuania 1891-Capri 1973
- JUAN GRIS (José Victoriano González). Madrid 1887-Boulogne-sur-Seine 1927
- PABLO GARGALLO (Pablo Gargallo). Maella 1881-Reus 1934
- PICASSO (Pablo Ruiz Picasso). Málaga 1881-Mougins 1973
- MIRÓ (Joan Miró). Barcelona 1893-Palma de Mallorca 1983
- JULIO GONZÁLEZ (Julio González). Barcelona 1876-Palma de Mallorca 1942
- CALDER (Alexander Calder). Lawton 1898-New York 1976
- ARP (Jean Arp). Strasbourg 1886-Balse 1966
- DALÍ (Salvador Dalí). Figueras 1904-Figueras 1989
- MAN RAY (Man Ray). Philadelphia 1890-París 1978
- DOMÍNGUEZ (Oscar Domínguez). La Laguna 1906-París 1957
- BUÑUEL (Luis Buñuel). Calanda 1900-Mexico 1983
- MALLO (Maruja Mallo). Pontevedra 1902-Madrid 1995
- PONCE DE LEÓN (Alfonso Ponce de León). Málaga 1900-Madrid 1936
- LUIS FERNÁNDEZ(Luis Fernández). Oviedo 1900-París 1973
- SÁNCHEZ (Alberto Sánchez). Toledo 1895-Moscú 1962
- BENJAMÍN PALENCIA (Benjamín Palencia). Borrax1894-Madrid 1909
- FERRANT (Angel Ferrant). Madrid 1890-Madrid 1961
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And on the fourth floor, works by:
Fourth floor |
- CANEJA (Juan Manuel Díaz Caneja). Palencia 1905-Madrid 1988
- TÀPIES (Antoni Tàpies). Barcelona 1923
- OTEIZA (Jorge de Oteiza). Guipúzcua 1908
- MONPÓ (Manuel Hernández Monpó). Valencia 1927-Madrid 1992
- GUERRERO (José Gerrrero). Granada 1914 1927-Barcelona 1991
- VICENTE (Estaban Vicente). Turégano 1903
- EQUIPO 57 (José Cuenca) Puente Genil 1934, (Angel Duarte) Aldeanueva del Camino 1930,
(José Duarte) Córdoba 1928, (Agustín Ibarrola) Bilbao 1930 y (Juan Serrano) Córdoba 1029
- PALAZUELO (Pablo Palazuelo). Madrid 1916
- BACON (Francis Bacon). Dublín 1909-Madrid 1992
- KLEIN (Ives Klein). Niza 1928-París 1962
- FONTANA (Lucio Fontana). Rosario de Sta. Fé 1899-Comabbio 1968
- MILLARES (Manuel Millares). Las Palmas de G. Canaria 1926-Madrid 1972
- SAURA (Antonio). Huesca 1930
- DUBUFFET (Jean Dubuffet). Le Havre 1901-París 1985
- LÓPEZ GARCÍA (Antonio López García). Tomelloso 1936
- CHILLIDA (Eduardo Chillida). San Sebastian 1924
- MERZ (Mario Merz). Milán 1925
- EQUIPO CRÓNICA (Rafael Solves) Valencia 1940-Valencia 1981 y (Manuel Valdés) Valencia 1942.
- ARROYO (Eduardo Arroyo). MAdrid 1937
- GORDILLO (Luis Gordillo). Sevilla 1934
- KELLY (Ellsworth Kelly). Newburgh 1923
- JUDD (Donald Judd). Excelsior Spring 1928-New York 1994
- SOTO (Jesús Rafael Soto). Bolívar 1923
- GRUPO ZAJ (Juan Hidalgo). Las Palmas de G. Canaria 1923, (Walter Marchetti) Italia 1931,
(Esther Ferrer) San Sebastian 1937 y (José Luis Castillejo) Sevilla 1932.
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