Art lovers who want to holiday in Spain are in luck as there are lots of incredible museums, architectural gems, churches, palaces, and more dotted all over the country that are stuffed with world-famous works of art. As the country has such a rich and complex history, there is a wide variety of different influences and styles that lend a diverse visual landscape to Spain and one of the most intriguing regions has to be the beautiful Basque Country in north-eastern Spain. This autonomous community has its own rich and distinct culture and traditions and is full of incredible artistic endeavours that are a treat to the senses. One of her cities, in particular, Bilbao, is a must-see if you have found a vacation rental in Basque Country.. It is a city famous for its art and two incredible museums: the Fine Art Museum and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
While the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao) is well worth a visit and is filled with a diverse range of works of art dating from all the way back to the 6th century BC to the present day and pieces by the likes of Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Piranesi, Fortuny, Carlos de Haes, Cézanne, Picasso, Duchamp, Lipchitz, Utamaro, Hokusai, Rouault, Hockney, Allen Jones, Bacon, El Greco, and Francisco de Goya, it is the Guggenheim Bilbao that is the most visited and famous museum in the region and for good reason. The building itself is an architectural wonder and an iconic global landmark that was designed by the famous Canadian-American 20th century architect Frank Gehry. With its massive scale, curved exterior that appears random, and light-filled spaces wrought in stone, glass and titanium, it has been described as "a fantastic dream ship of undulating form in a cloak of titanium," by the critic Calvin Tomkins in The New Yorker.
While the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao) is well worth a visit and is filled with a diverse range of works of art dating from all the way back to the 6th century BC to the present day and pieces by the likes of Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Piranesi, Fortuny, Carlos de Haes, Cézanne, Picasso, Duchamp, Lipchitz, Utamaro, Hokusai, Rouault, Hockney, Allen Jones, Bacon, El Greco, and Francisco de Goya, it is the Guggenheim Bilbao that is the most visited and famous museum in the region and for good reason. The building itself is an architectural wonder and an iconic global landmark that was designed by the famous Canadian-American 20th century architect Frank Gehry. With its massive scale, curved exterior that appears random, and light-filled spaces wrought in stone, glass and titanium, it has been described as "a fantastic dream ship of undulating form in a cloak of titanium," by the critic Calvin Tomkins in The New Yorker.
The Guggenheim at Bilbao has been hailed at a masterpiece of the 20th century, one of the most spectacular buildings in the style of Deconstructivism (despite the fact that Gehry does not associate with the movement), was named as one of the most important architectural works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey that was conducted among architectural experts around the globe, and is a shining beacon that enlivened Bilbao's formerly decrepit port area. Paid for by the Basque government, the building cost $100 million dollars to construct and was additionally afforded tens of millions in order to acquire works of art to be housed inside the museum. It is managed by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which allows works to come from the other museums under their care and for loans to be arranged for temporary exhibitions.
Initially inaugurated in 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art, the museum is now home to an ever-shifting collection of modern and contemporary masterpieces and temporary thematic exhibitions, as well as some extraordinary large-scale, site-specific installations such as Richard Serra's 100-meter-long Snake; Louise Bourgeois' Maman, a skeletal and spider-like canopy; Jeff Koons’ Puppy, a 12m-tall highland terrier that is made from thousands of begonias; Yves Klein’s Fire Fountains; and Fujiko Nakaya’s pool water installation that emits a mysterious and atmospheric mist. Inside, the permanent collection boasts Richard Serra's large-scale maze-like sculptural creations made from weathered steel, Jenny Holzer's LED columns of phrases and texts in English, Spanish, and Basque, paintings and prints by the likes of Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, Basquiat, Yves Klein, Yoko Ono, and Andy Warhol, and more.
If you have found a vacation rental in Spain and you’re an art lover, this is one of the key must-see spots in the whole country and is a truly extraordinary place.
If you have found a vacation rental in Spain and you’re an art lover, this is one of the key must-see spots in the whole country and is a truly extraordinary place.