Reina Sofia, University Rey Juan Carlos in Aranjuez, and the Prado

By Mikayla O’Neill

On May 13th, we walked to The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. It was the first day of our trip and although we were all jet-lagged, we coped by enjoying some Spanish culture through viewing art and having tapas and paella for dinner. We saw art from a variety of the greats, including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. We had the pleasure of having a tour guide explain the meaning and origins of the paintings we looked at, which included this one called “Mujer en Azul” or Woman in Blue by Pablo Picasso. This piece, made in 1901, would be acquired by the museum decades later. Picasso left for Paris for his first solo show and abandoned it in Madrid, prefacing his feelings towards the mujer en azul. The painting shows a woman sitting in a large dress with a prominent wig, apparent makeup, and eccentric accessories. In the eyes of Picasso, there are two types of women. The first type would be the mothers, they are great caretakers and child bearers, but, they are not sexually attractive. The second type of women are the ones who are not cut out to be wives but are extremely alluring to men, making them prostitutes. The woman he created here is the second type, which is evident in her style and makeup. Picasso at this time was not fond of women, as his friend, Carlos Casagemas, had just committed suicide due to a woman not accepting his advances. This inspired the Mujer en Azul and began his “Blue Period” where Picasso for four years would only paint in blue to represent the mourning he felt for his dear friend. This painting was one of his first in the collection and represented both his disdain towards women and his sorrow for Casagemas. Overall, this painting among the many other fascinating ones featured at the museum gives us a look into the history of Spain and what the social norms and interests were back then.

On May 14th, we took a bus bright and early to visit la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Aranjuez, South Madrid. We got to hear from two amazing Spanish instructors about the three cultures of Spain and the political landscapes of the Spanish Monarch. One specific part in particular stood out to me in the lecture: a discussion about forests. Although one from the US may think of a forest as a cluster of tall trees close together, the Spaniards think differently. With temperatures similar to that of San Francisco, California, the Spanish knew they needed to prevent forest fires by planting trees strategically. Hence, the Spanish Monarch planted short, spread-out trees with animals living nearby them to eat the acorns and prevent close tree growth.

The location of Madrid, having a couple of rivers in its vicinity, allowed for optimal hydration for the trees during the hot summers. The monarch’s smart thinking allowed trees to survive in Madrid and across Spain for extended periods. This was the beginning of agroforestry, rooted back in medieval times, to preserve resources. Therefore, the monarch’s many palaces have beautiful gardens full of trees and flowers that utilize this same method to prevent wildfires. We saw this concept today in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, which is what the picture shows. It has a spectacular river and garden that stretches for miles past what you see here. On the drive back to the center city, the trees were also planted the same way, showing how medieval innovations affect us even to this day. We then stopped by the Museo de Prado and had another lovely tour of some statues and paintings. Lastly, we finished off the day with a late dinner, just like how the Spaniards do it!