Today’s Doodle celebrates the 200th anniversary of Madrid’s Museo del Prado. Opened on this day in 1819, the museum is home to thousands of Spanish paintings from the 12th century to the 20th century, including masterpieces by El Greco, Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez, amongst other European masters.

Designed in 1785 by architect Juan de Villanueva, the building was repurposed by King Ferdinand VII and Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza from a center for the natural sciences to a public gallery in 1819. Originally called the Royal Museum, it was later named Museo Nacional del Prado. With a collection of over 5,000 pieces, the museum pursued an expansion project that increased public access and reduced crowding in the main building.

The nearby Jerónimos Cloister was restored and incorporated to create the Museo del Prado Campus, allowing the museum to showcase the masterpieces of a new era. The Bicentenary exhibit, “A Place of Memory,” pays homage to the museum’s history through some of its darkest periods and offers a glimpse into how the museum has transformed into the institution it is today.

The museum is looking to the future on its 200th anniversary, taking time to ensure that diversity is embraced at the dawn of its third century. Throughout the year, the collection exhibited artists from Latin America such as Matrimonios de Martín de Loyola con Beatriz Ñusta y de Juan de Borja con Lorenza Ñusta de Loyola, an extraordinary example of the viceregal painting, coming from the Pedro de Osma Museum in Lima, Peru, and women in A Tale of Two Women Painters: Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana and Twelve Photographers. Guests should be able to see most of the museum in a couple of hours, but they might lose track of time trying to unpack the scenes in Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights.”

Happy two centuries, Museo del Prado!

Doodler Up Close

Today’s Doodle was created by Doodler Nate Swinehart. Below, he shares some thoughts on the making of the Doodle:

Q: How did you first learn about Museo del Prado? What part of the museum's story do you find most inspiring personally?

A: I visited Madrid for the first time but was unable to go to the museum. I was sad to miss it, but from the long lines, I was very impressed that the museum clearly generated a huge amount of interest, and it made me happy to see that people care that much about art and history!

Q: Museo del Prado is home to Spanish paintings from the 12th to the 20th century. Is there a specific masterpiece that resonates with you?

A: I studied The Garden of Earthly Delights in school, and it is definitely a work that stays with you! I love the mood of Les Meninas as well.

Q: The bicentenary exhibit, “A Place of Memory" pays homage to the Museo del Prado, one of the greatest art museums in the world. As a visual artist, has history influenced your work?

A: Absolutely! The history and progression of art are both intimidating and inspiring and offers a window into what the artists of the past valued. Their accomplishments are incredible to me and push me to grow as an artist myself.

Q: What was your creative approach for the Doodle celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Museo del Prado? Why did you decide on this approach?

A: I wanted this Doodle to both honor the museum but also make it feel accessible and fun to the viewers. Art can feel intimidating, even confusing at times. I decided to make the entire painting in the style of oil painting, a very intimidating prospect for a digital artist! I developed a whole new method of digitally painting to get the look I wanted, it was a great learning experience. I wanted very much to evoke the same emotion with the brushstrokes and colors, but I also wanted to make it fun by featuring the letters as the subject of masterpieces.

Q: What do you hope people will take away from this Doodle?

A: Hopefully, the Doodle makes people see the lighter side of art and inspire them to visit the museum for themselves!

Early concepts of the Doodle