"Spain: 500 Years of Spanish Painting from the Museums of Madrid"

The Summer of Spain is upon us. Just a few days ago, Spanish royalty King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia concluded their three-day stay in the Alamo City and headed back home. The distinguished visitors were in town, of course, to commemorate San Antonio’s deep Hispanic roots as a part of the ongoing Tricentennial celebration. But, the royal couple’s visit was also well-timed in that it served as a fine appetizer for this week’s landmark opening of “Spain: 500 Years of Painting from the Museums of Madrid” at SAMA. This truly grand and prestigious exhibition, which features many works of art that have never been on view in the United States before, boasts more than 40 masterpieces from throughout the last five centuries of Spanish painting, all culled from major collections in Madrid. As such, this special show gives visitors a chance to get in touch with our city’s Spanish roots via work of some of the finest artists in the history of the world — from El Greco to Goya, from Velázquez to Sorolla, Picasso and beyond. To go along with this exhibit, SAMA’s Summer of Spain is a supplemental series loaded with worthwhile happenings, including a Museum Ball, special tours, gallery talks, relevant movie screenings, arts and crafts opportunities, and much more.