LONDON.- Velasquez’s ‘Las Meninas’, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Hieronymous Bosch, ‘The Three Graces’ by Rubens and ‘The Family of Charles IV’ by Goya: These are some of the most famous and celebrated works in the history of art, and all are held by the Museo del Prado, one of the greatest collections of European art in the world. Now Thames & Hudson publishes The Prado Masterpieces, the first ever volume on this superb institution, written and compiled by the museum’s expert curators.

Based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, the Prado unquestionably holds the best single collection of Spanish art including numerous works by Francisco de Goya, as well as by Diego Velázquez, El Greco and other iconic figures from The Spanish Golden Age. Titian, Peter Paul Rubens and Hieronymus Bosch are some of the other highlights of this extraordinary collection, which features work from antiquity to the early 19th century.

Arranged chronologically, The Prado Masterpieces creates a rich dialogue between artists from different schools working in the same period. There are also sections looking in depth at specific painters (Velazquez, Titian, Greco and Bosch), as well as at the themes of still life, portraits and religious paintings.

A large format, luxurious volume, The Prado Masterpieces can be read as a complete history of art and will thrill and delight art lovers and scholars alike, earning pride of place on many a bookshelf and coffee table.

The Museo Nacional del Prado is the Spanish national art museum located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 19th century. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, El Prado is one of the most cultural institutions in the world.