When I arrived at Prado, nine in the morning, there was already a long queue.
I've been looking forward to visiting this museum.
Its collection of Velazquez and Goya were spectacular, I'm telling you.
It was extremely interesting to see the transition in Goya's painting style.
This one, 'La Nevada El Invierno', was painted in 1787, when he was 40
This one, was painted when Goya was 46 (i.e. 1792)
This famous painting, of May the third, was painted in 1814, when Goya was 68, notice the change in the use of his colour.
I was extremely shocked by this one, 'The Fates', which was painted in circa 1821/23, when he was around 75.
It depicts 'three sisters weaving the lives of the mortals'.
Look at the colour.
Goya lost his hearing at the age of 74, so this was painted the year after he became deaf.
It is obvious how this incident affected his painting stlye as well as his life.
In this gallery, there was a vast collection of these so-called Goya's 'Black Paintings'.
They are dark and horrifying, but at the same time, these paintings make you convince that Goya reached the
ultimate stage of an artist.
He was indeed a great artist.
I was so impressed with Prado's vast collection of Velazquez's works as well.
In this hall, the paintings drawn all by Velazquez were hanged - I lost my words.
I pretty much spent the whole day in Prado, until seven.
There was a botanic garden just beside Prado, so I went in to relax.
I must have chosen the best time of the year, not too hot, not too cold, just about the right temperature to take a short nap on a bench.
I got out and walked around the city, taking photos along my way.
I was hungry so I went into this 'mussel bar', where they sell, mussels obviously...
I ordered a dish of mussels and a glass of lemonade. It was very nice.
I asked the shop owner if it's okay to take a photograph of him.
I didn't understand what he said in response, but I took it as 'yes',
in fact he looked happy, impressed with how he decorated his shop.
But to be honest, it was not my taste...
those mussels on the wall gave me goosebumps...
This photograph was taken in the outskirts of the city.
When I came across this scene, it reminded me of a photograph by Helen Levitt (photo 5 in preliminary research).
But there were no children playing.
I took this photograph as I thought the silhouette of a tree on the wall was quite beautiful.
When I took this photograph (below), I was once again inspired by Helen Levitt.
When I saw these children playing with the fountain, it reminded me of her photograph of three children playing in a baseball ground.
But it's hard to tell what they were actually doing in this photograph, perhaps I could have chosen a better angle.
They were playing with a ball, bouncing against the fountain, which the boy inside of the fountain was suppose to catch.
Kids are amazing creatures.
The day was getting darker.
I was inspired by the photograph of Bernice Abbott (photograph 2, in preliminary research) when I took this one.
It shows nothing more than a corner of a street,
but the street signs and the store signs were eminating a serene atmosphere, just like in Abbott's photograph of a raindeer, and so
I decided to press the shutter.
I cannot over-emphasize how greedy the Spanish people are, that is, in terms of eating.
I quite like the below photograph, as I think I managed to take a native Spanish doing his periodic food shopping.
He must have been thinking 'hmmm, what shall I eat tonight'.
An old lady looking inside a show window near Plaza Mayor.
When I arrived in Plaza Mayor, there was a circus man doing something funny.
He was really good with his performance and with making people laugh.
The musicians in the streets of Madrid, they were very good.
So that was my day.
Yesterday Tomorrow
1 year ago