The Prado gives Christina of Sweden's sculpture collection a room of its own
The queen's eight Muses take centre stage, with a new installation of Thalia and talks featuring astronauts Sara García and Christer Fuglesang.
MSMarta Sanz, heritage and travel writer
· 2 min
- What
- Room on Christina of Sweden's sculptures
- Where
- Villanueva building, Museo Nacional del Prado
- Also on show
- 1651 Italian edition of Leonardo's Treatise on Painting, for three months
- Partner
- Embassy of Sweden in Spain
- Region
- Madrid
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The Museo Nacional del Prado has opened a room dedicated to the sculpture collection of Queen Christina of Sweden, who abdicated in 1654 and spent much of her later life in Rome.1
The display extends to the Room of the Muses at the heart of the Villanueva building, which holds the eight statues Christina bought around 1670 for her Roman palace. There, the museum is showing a new temporary installation of Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, whose figure was completed by Francesco Maria Nocchieri with a head that reproduces the queen's features.1
Books and astronauts
For three months the Prado will also show a copy of the Italian edition of Leonardo da Vinci's Treatise on Painting, published in Paris in 1651 and kept in the museum's library.1
With the Embassy of Sweden, the museum has organised a programme of talks on Christina's legacy. Speakers include the writer Theodor Kallifatides, the illustrator Liv Strömquist, the Spanish astronaut Sara García Alonso and the Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang.1
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Marta Sanz is a heritage and travel writer based in Madrid. Marta studied art history at the Complutense University and has guided visitors through Madrid's museums for a decade before moving into journalism.