MADRID, Dec 20 — For a long time, women artists were confined to the realms of museum reserves. But they’re increasingly coming out of the shadows, prompted by institutions such as Madrid’s Prado, which are pursuing initiatives to re-evaluate women’s involvement in the arts.
The Spanish museum has chosen to pay tribute to the female patrons and donors who have enriched its collection over the centuries, through a themed itinerary called “El Prado en femenino” or “The Female Perspective.” Indeed, masterpieces such as Rogier van der Weyden’s Descent from the Cross, Titian’s Equestrian Portrait of Charles V and Rubens’ The Holy Family surrounded by Saints would not adorn the walls of the Prado without the generosity of several female patrons of the arts.
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria is one of them. The Prado houses dozens of works from her patronage, including a portrait of her painted by Peter-Paul Rubens in 1625. This oil on canvas was kept for years in the museum’s storerooms, before being taken out for “El Prado en femenino.” Visitors to the Prado can now admire it alongside long-hidden works such as sculpted busts of Eleanor of Austria and Mary of Hungary, by Jacques Du Boeucq and Leone Leoni respectively.
But Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria’s contribution to the Prado does not end there. It is thanks to her that the Spanish museum houses the world’s largest collection of works by Rubens. It is therefore not surprising that the institution has dedicated an entire section of “El Prado en femenino” to her.
This themed circuit is based on the work of Noelia García Pérez, an art historian who teaches at the University of Murcia. The specialist analysed the labels of works from the Prado collection made between 1451 and 1633, and presented her findings at a symposium in March. As a result of this event, the museum decided to take a fresh look at its permanent collection and the women who helped build it.
“El Prado en femenino” invites visitors to take a closer look at some 30 works that were created or collected by female patrons of the arts such as Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria, Isabella I of Castile and Mary of Austria. According to ARTnews, the masterpieces featured in this themed itinerary have been given new titles and explanatory notes. This was undertaken to remove certain references that were unnecessary for the proper understanding of the work (one of the old labels mentioned, for example, the ugliness of the former Queen of England, Mary Tudor), and to remove reductive terms such as “wife of” to designate the female patrons honoured.
Visitors to the Prado Museum can discover “El Prado en femenino” / “The Female Perspective” until April 9, 2023. They can also visit the museum’s official YouTube channel to watch documentaries about the three main sections of the thematic route. — ETX Studio
