A basic guide to The Prado. A view of the museum according to styles.

In this book, written by a specialist well-acquainted with the Prado, a vision or art is given to the spectator by following an itinerary of stylistic sequences in the Museum. It begins with a first section in which the methods for an acquaintanceship with a work of art are explained and at the same time the social necessity for museums is justified. This is followed by a brief history of the collections exhibited. The second chapter is dedicated to covering the itinerary of the collections in the Prado with an orderly vision in which great importance is given to the styles; the artistic works are not merely pigeonholed with technical nomenclature, but rather an attempt is made to establish a dialogue with the spectator, for these works are expressing a human message. The third part, visually the most important, is made up by one hundred splendid reproductions in full color done by a specialist, with each reproduction being accompanied by an explanatory text, in wich the aesthetic value and historical, sociological and iconographic menaing of each one of these carefully chosen one hundred masterpieces is emphasized. A brief technical vocabulary aids the reader in understanding artistics terminology and an index —along with diagrams— facilitates the rapid location of the works.