The Museo del Prado is located in central Madrid, Spain, and is the main Spanish national art museum. Designed in 1785 by architect Juan de Villanueva, The Museo Nacional del Prado was originally constructed to be the Natural History Cabinet. This was an order by King Charles III. His grandson, King Ferdinand VII, had the decision of what the museum would become. After his decision, which was influenced by his wife, Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza, the museum was named the National Museum of Painting and Sculptures. Later, named Museo Nacional del Prado. The museum made its debut opening to the public in November 1819. Their collection consisted of over 1,510 pictures from royal residences in Spain. 311 of these works were paintings included in their first catalogue that was published in 1819.
The royal collection the museum houses today is the foundation of the museum’s important collection. This collection began to grow remarkably during the era of King Charles V and more so during the monarchies of Habsburg and Bourbon. Various paintings came from the Museo de la Trinidad. For example, The Fountain of Grace by the School of Jan Van Eyck, Saint Dominic Presides over an Auto de Fe by Pedro Berruguete. Also featured are five canvases by El Greco which were originally created for the Colegio de Doňa María de Aragón. Majority of the painting of the 19th century housed in the museum are from former Museo de Arte Moderno. Such works were executed by Madrazo, Vicente López, Carlos de Haes, Rosales and Sorolla. Since it’s opening day, the Museo del Prado has housed over 2,300 paintings, including many sculptures, prints and drawing. Other works were received through legacy, donations and purchases. In 1881, Barón Emile d’Erlanger made one of the most important donations to the museum, which was Goya’s Black Paintings. Some important works that were purchased are: Fable and The Flight to Egypt by El Greco (purchased in 1993 and 2001), The Countless of Chinchón by Goya (purchased in 2000), and lastly, Portrait of the man called ‘The Pope’s Barber’ by Velázquez, which was purchased in 2003. Some pieces acquired through bequests was a collection of medals that was left in the will of Don Pablo Bosch, a collection of drawings and decorative arts which belonged to Don Pedro Fernández Durán, and lastly, the Ramón de Errazu Bequest of the 19th-century painting. As a result of an expanding collection, the museum’s Villanueva building underwent expansion multiple times and eventually, a new building was constructed to house more works.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art began after the great Centennial Exhibition in 1876. The Centennial Exhibition was the celebration of America’s 100th anniversary of independence. It was the first international fair held, which celebrated America’s flourishing arts, industry, and trading. Over ten million people attended. After the Centennial Exhibition, Memorial Hall was constructed to house the Exhibition’s art gallery, the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art. During the early decades of the museum, donations for the museum’s collection were appealed to a variety of exhibitors. Amongst their earliest possessions and donations were European ceramics, fine and decorative arts predominately made in Europe and Japan, and books. A few examples of possessions of the museum, and major gifts are: The Robert W. Lewis gifts and bequests of Oriental ceramics and metalwork (1876), The Bloomfield Moore Collection of Decorative Arts (1882), and The W.P Wilstach Painting Collection (1893). Other works include pieces by James Abbott McNeil Whistler and George Inness in 1895, and The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner. These were acquired through the bequest of Anna H. Wilstach. Some of their major exhibitions were the ‘Collection of Coins and Medals’ in 1879, ‘Arms and Armour’ in 1883, and American Art Industry: Pottery and Porcelain in 1889/1889.
Beginning in the early 1900s, the museum started an education program and published their first collection collection. Once a membership program was initiated, the Main Building had an attendance of one million visits in a year. The great efforts and leadership of President J. Stogdell Stokes kept the museum from being closed during the Great Depression. In the 1940s, the museums collection continued to expand in collections donated. Two of these important collections include the John D. Mcllhenny Collection and the George Grey Barnard Collection. The museum began the 1950s with a grand celebration for the Diamond Jubilee and the commemoration of its 75th anniversary.