The Basque Country of Spain is a place with an incredibly long and rich cultural heritage and, as a result, is home to some astounding buildings, monuments, tourist attractions, and museums. While the most visited museum in the region is the world-renowned and impossibly famous Guggenheim, the lesser-known Bilbao Museum of Fine Art is actually also well-worth checking out while you’re in the area. With one of the richest collections in the country, a diverse range of offerings from the 6th century BC to the present day, and some incredibly famous names represented among the works on display, the museum is a must-see for art lovers who have found a vacation rental in Basque Country.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao) was established in 1908 but remained without a permanent home until one could be built for it in 1945. The resulting building, a lovely neoclassical gem, remains home to its collection to this day, though it was expanded in 1970 and then again in 2001 (another extension is also currently in the planning stages in 2019) to afford additional space for the growing number of works of art housed within its walls. Said collection was first created upon the merging of the collections of the previous and original Museo de Bellas Artes (which had been inaugurated in 1914) and the Museo de Arte Moderno (which had been inaugurated in 1924) and brought the two under one roof together.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao) was established in 1908 but remained without a permanent home until one could be built for it in 1945. The resulting building, a lovely neoclassical gem, remains home to its collection to this day, though it was expanded in 1970 and then again in 2001 (another extension is also currently in the planning stages in 2019) to afford additional space for the growing number of works of art housed within its walls. Said collection was first created upon the merging of the collections of the previous and original Museo de Bellas Artes (which had been inaugurated in 1914) and the Museo de Arte Moderno (which had been inaugurated in 1924) and brought the two under one roof together.
Made up of 10,000 pieces, including 1,500 paintings, 400 sculptures, more than 6,500 works on paper and 1,000 pieces of applied artwork, the permanent exhibition collection of the museum spans European art from the 6th century BC to the present day and is spread in chronological order across 33 rooms and divided into five main sections: ancient art, modern and contemporary art, Basque art, works on paper, and applied arts. The majority of the works in the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao are from the 12th century onwards but there are some much older pieces on display, including a Taramona-Basabe collection of Italic, Roman and Iberian Etruscan bronzes that date as far back as the 6th century BC.
Noteworthy eras and schools represented within the museum’s collections include the Palace collection of Oriental art, the Flemish and Dutch schools, the Spanish school and the Basque school especially (being one of the most notable collection of works by Basque artists and supporting documentation in the world), and there is also a great variety of works on paper, including prints and engravings by the likes of Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Piranesi, Goya, Fortuny, Carlos de Haes, Cézanne, Picasso, Duchamp, Lipchitz, Utamaro, Hokusai, Rouault, Hockney, Allen Jones, and Bacon, among others. Particular highlights to keep an eye out for are “Lucretia” by Lucas Cranach the Elder (which was recently added to the collection back in 2012), “The Rape of Europa” by Martin de Vos, “The Annunciation” by El Greco, “Lot and his Daughters” by Orazio Gentileschi, “Portrait of Martín Zapater” by Francisco de Goya, “Seated Woman with a Child in her Arms” by Mary Casatt, “Laveuses à Arles” by Paul Gauguin, and “Lying Figure in Mirror” by Francis Bacon.
Noteworthy eras and schools represented within the museum’s collections include the Palace collection of Oriental art, the Flemish and Dutch schools, the Spanish school and the Basque school especially (being one of the most notable collection of works by Basque artists and supporting documentation in the world), and there is also a great variety of works on paper, including prints and engravings by the likes of Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Piranesi, Goya, Fortuny, Carlos de Haes, Cézanne, Picasso, Duchamp, Lipchitz, Utamaro, Hokusai, Rouault, Hockney, Allen Jones, and Bacon, among others. Particular highlights to keep an eye out for are “Lucretia” by Lucas Cranach the Elder (which was recently added to the collection back in 2012), “The Rape of Europa” by Martin de Vos, “The Annunciation” by El Greco, “Lot and his Daughters” by Orazio Gentileschi, “Portrait of Martín Zapater” by Francisco de Goya, “Seated Woman with a Child in her Arms” by Mary Casatt, “Laveuses à Arles” by Paul Gauguin, and “Lying Figure in Mirror” by Francis Bacon.
In addition to the permanent collection, there are also temporary exhibitions held in the museum from time to time, including solo showcases of great masters such as El Greco, Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt, thematic retrospectives, and more. When you visit, be sure to check out if the museum is hosting such an exhibition as you never know what wonderful surprises you’ll find await you or for how long that they will be on display.
So, if you have found a holiday rental in Basque Country and are spending time in Bilbao, be sure to pay this little gem a mind as well as the Guggenheim. In addition to the incredible collection and temporary exhibitions, you will also find a wonderful gift shop and an excellent café where you can have breakfast, lunch, snacks, coffee, and, even, pintxos or deep fried squid on the weekend, all while enjoying the view through the eatery’s large windows out onto the lovely Doña Casilda Park, one of the key attractions in this incredible town in Spain.
Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao
Plaza del Museo, 2, 48009 Bilbao
+34 944 39 60 60
info@museobilbao.com
Opening hours:
Wednesday-Monday, from 10am to 8pm
Closed on Tuesdays, except for special openings.
December 24th and 31st, from 10 am to 2pm (except when on a Tuesday, a usual closing day).
Closed December 25th, January 1st and 6th.
Tickets:
General entrance, €10
Reduced, €8
Free for children and disabled people
So, if you have found a holiday rental in Basque Country and are spending time in Bilbao, be sure to pay this little gem a mind as well as the Guggenheim. In addition to the incredible collection and temporary exhibitions, you will also find a wonderful gift shop and an excellent café where you can have breakfast, lunch, snacks, coffee, and, even, pintxos or deep fried squid on the weekend, all while enjoying the view through the eatery’s large windows out onto the lovely Doña Casilda Park, one of the key attractions in this incredible town in Spain.
Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao
Plaza del Museo, 2, 48009 Bilbao
+34 944 39 60 60
info@museobilbao.com
Opening hours:
Wednesday-Monday, from 10am to 8pm
Closed on Tuesdays, except for special openings.
December 24th and 31st, from 10 am to 2pm (except when on a Tuesday, a usual closing day).
Closed December 25th, January 1st and 6th.
Tickets:
General entrance, €10
Reduced, €8
Free for children and disabled people
Photo credits:
Picture 1: MuseoBBAABilbao / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Pedro J Pacheco / CC BY-SA 3.0
Picture 1: MuseoBBAABilbao / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Pedro J Pacheco / CC BY-SA 3.0
