Reina Sofia Museum

Picasso, Dalí and Miró: The Birth of Modern Art in Spain

The setting is truly impressive. The permanent collection is housed in a monumental late-18th-century building—the former General Hospital—with its distinctive Neoclassical architecture. Temporary exhibitions are held in the equally spectacular contemporary extension designed by Jean Nouvel, with its striking steel-and-aluminium aesthetic. Together, the two buildings create a perfect architectural dialogue for showcasing the great pioneers of 20th-century art: Picasso, Juan Gris, Miró, Dalí and many others.

One of the highlights of the visit is the encounter with Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. Seeing this powerful anti-war statement at close range offers a deeper understanding of its origins, the personal and political circumstances surrounding its creation, and the people who inspired one of the most significant works in the history of modern art. The tour also delves into the deeply personal world of Salvador Dalí and the enduring question raised by his work: provocation or reflection? Symbols such as the grasshopper, the egg and the lion in The Great Masturbator take on new meaning here.

But the journey through 20th-century art does not stop with the great names alone. The visit also explores the smaller, no less fascinating tributaries of the impressive river of modern art: the work of Spanish women Surrealist artists in the 1920s, Miró’s “destruction of art”, the turn towards abstraction during the harsh post-war years, and Spain’s distinctive interpretation of Pop Art.

A visit to discover the modern and contemporary heart of Spain through its art.