MADRID, SPAIN.- The Museo del Prado will inaugurate its expansion with an anthological exhibition dedicated to masters of Spanish painting of the 19th century. The exhibition will rediscover the modern painting collection of the Prado made of masterpieces by artists such as Madrazo, Rosales, Sorolla o Fortuny, among others.

The museum’s 19th century collection will be on view after being out of view for a long period of time. During this time the collection was reviewed and restored. A complete catalogue of these works will also be published. The museum proposes to the public with these two projects (exhibition and catalogue) the rediscovery of Spanish art from the last quarter of a century of the life of Goya to the date of the birth of Picasso, two great names in the history of universal art.

The first work of art that was hung in the expansion of the Prado is The Testament of Isabel The Catholic by Eduardo Rosales. The work of art weighs 250 kilograms and it took six people to hang it. The new area will be inaugurated on October 30.

César Antonio Molina, Minister of Culture, said that the act was “signigicative and symbolic:” Among the people present during the act were the new president of the Prado board Plácido Arango, Miguel Zugaza, director of the museum, and Francisco González, president of BBVA, who just signed an agreement to continue supporting the museum for another four years.