Museo Lázaro Galdiano

Museo Lázaro Galdiano

The Museum of Lázaro Galdiano is a museum located in Madrid, Spain. It houses the art collection of José Lázaro Galdiano. Ornate mansion with masterpieces by Goya and Bosch, plus Renaissance antiques and armor.

The Lázaro Galdiano Museum opened its doors to the public on January 27, 1951 after having been inventoried its funds by Emilio Camps Cazorla (1903-1952) fulfilling the desire of José Lázaro Galdiano that his Collection would serve for the formation and enjoyment of future generations. The inauguration of the Museum was a pleasant surprise for the public and professionals related to culture both for the richness and variety of the collections, and for the innovative museography used for its exhibition. Indeed, the fruitful collaboration of two outstanding professionals, such as José Camón Aznar (1898-1979) – the first director of the Foundation and the Museum – and Fernando Chueca Goitia (1911-2004) – architect in charge of the reform of the Parque Florido palace – resulted in the creation of a model space for the time. Despite occupying the four floors of the old house, it was not a project that intended to recreate the house as such, but to expose the different collections following museographic, historiographical and aesthetic criteria. Thus, except for the main floor and two rooms on the second floor and one on the third – which preserved intact their original layout and decoration – the rest of the spaces were radically modified in order to achieve a staging that showed in an orderly and safe way the numerous works of art selected and, at the same time, It will manage to evoke the atmosphere of the collector’s residence.