Francisco Goya Paintings in Madrid — Where to See Them

Madrid is essential for experiencing Francisco Goya because the city puts approximately 21 of his paintings on permanent display across four institutions, offering a rare chance to see his work in varied historical and domestic contexts: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (4), Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (13), Museo Nacional del Romanticismo (1), and Palacio de Liria (Fundación Casa de Alba) (3). Together these museums and the private palace let you follow Goya’s range—from academic commissions and Romantic-era portraiture to intimate, privately held masterpieces—without leaving the city.

At a Glance

Museums: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Museo Nacional del Romanticismo, Palacio de Liria (Fundación Casa de Alba)
Highlight: Don't miss the Real Academia's extensive Goya collection.
Best For: Art and history lovers, especially Goya enthusiasts.

Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

The Thyssen places Goya within a broad European context, so its Goya paintings are valuable for seeing how he converses with Italian, Flemish and contemporary Spanish painters in a single hang. Because the Thyssen’s collection emphasizes private collecting tastes and transnational dialogues, the museum’s Goyas often illuminate his portrait practice and stylistic shifts when compared side-by-side with Northern and Italian masters.

Retrato de Asensio Julià

1798

This portrait shows the painter Asensio Julià standing amid painterly props — brushes, scaffolding and tools — which links him to his collaboration with Goya on the frescoes of San Antonio de la Florida. It’s important as a working-artist portrait that documents Goya’s circle and studio practice at the turn of the century; look for the candid, informal pose, the direct inscription/dedication (Goya to his friend Asensi), and the visual cues (scaffolding and implements) that identify the sitter’s profession. ([museothyssen.org](https://www.museothyssen.org/sites/default/files/document/2024-06/v20_bases.pdf?utm_source=openai))

Must-see

Retrato de Doña María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas

1783

Goya depicts Doña María Teresa, wife of Infante Luis Antonio, in an elegant, restrained three-quarter pose that emphasizes her social rank without flamboyance. The painting is significant as an example of Goya’s refined court portraiture in the 1780s, where psychological presence is conveyed through subtle posture and costume; viewers should note the delicate handling of flesh and fabric, the composed dignity of the sitter, and the intimate scale that invites close looking. ([commons.wikimedia.org](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMar%C3%ADa_Teresa_de_Vallabriga_by_Goya.jpg?utm_source=openai))

Address: Paseo del Prado 8, 28014 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–19:00 (closed Mondays); summer hours and special-night openings may vary

Admission: General admission around €12–€16 (reduced and free-entry times available); check museum for exact ticket prices

Tip: Visit first thing when the galleries open and head to the rooms that group 18th–19th century portraits; that quieter early-morning hour gives you the best light and space to study the brushwork that distinguishes Goya from his neighbors in the collection. Many visitors glance at the big names and miss the subtler conservation labels and wall texts that explain why a particular canvas is important for understanding Goya’s technique—read those closely.

Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

The Real Academia is central to Goya’s professional life: he was closely linked to the institution that trained Spain’s artists and judged official taste, and the Academy’s holdings preserve many works connected to his official roles, studies and commissions. With a comparatively large group of Goya paintings, the Academy lets you trace his development as a court and academic painter and to see works that relate directly to his involvement with Spain’s artistic institutions.

Retrato de Juan de Villanueva

This portrait depicts the architect Juan de Villanueva in dignified, measured fashion, often with attributes or a setting that suggest his professional role. It’s significant as a record of an important figure in Spanish neoclassical architecture and as an example of Goya’s ability to balance individual character with civic stature. Viewers should notice the calm, rational composition, the sitter’s thoughtful expression, and any architectural references or props that reinforce his identity.

Retrato de José Munárriz

A formal portrait of José Munárriz that emphasizes decorum and social position through costume and bearing. Significant for its portrayal of a contemporary figure within Goya’s circle and for demonstrating the artist’s portrait technique—capturing texture, posture, and personality. Look closely at the rendering of fabrics and accessories, the sitter’s expression, and how subtle lighting defines facial planes.

Procesión de disciplinantes

Shows a religious procession of flagellants (disciplinantes) engaged in public penance, a solemn and striking devotional spectacle. The painting is important for its exploration of popular religiosity, collective ritual, and the sometimes austere or unsettling aspects of Spanish faith practices. Look for the repetitive rhythms of the figures, contrasting expressions of devotion and fatigue, and any interplay between candlelight, cloth, and the sombre atmosphere.

La casa de locos

An evocative scene of inmates in an asylum or madhouse, showing a variety of disturbed, melancholic, or deranged figures in a confined interior. Significant because it reveals Goya’s concern with human suffering, social marginalization, and the darker aspects of the human condition—anticipating the psychological intensity of his later works. Look for expressive faces, cramped spatial composition, and contrasts of light and shadow that heighten the unsettling, empathetic viewing experience.

Address: Calle de Alcalá 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Museum collection (permanent): Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–15:00 (closed Mondays). Closed 1 Jan, 6 Jan, 1 May, 30 May, entire month of August, 9 Nov, 23–25 Dec and 31 Dec.

Admission: General €10; Reduced €5 (with valid accreditation); Free with accreditation; Group/school rates and special tickets available.

Tip: Check the Academy’s schedule and aim for a weekday morning; guided visits or docent talks (when available) often point out archival drawings and documentary material related to Goya that are not on general signage. Don’t rush the galleries with the Academy’s older Spanish portraits—look for smaller canvases and study labels noting provenance, which reveal how these works relate to Goya’s official commissions and network.

Museo Nacional del Romanticismo

The Romanticismo museum places Goya within the cultural and emotional currents that shaped 19th‑century Spain, so its single Goya work functions as a key reference point for how his late aesthetic anticipated Romantic themes of feeling, domestic life and psychological complexity. Even one painting in this setting is telling: it’s shown in a house-museum context that highlights how Goya’s imagery resonated with private taste and the sentimental narratives prized by Romantic collectors.

San Gregorio Magno, Papa

1797

Large devotional portrait by Goya; central piece in the museum's oratory and part of the founding collection.

Must-see

Address: Calle de San Mateo 13, 28004 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Winter (Nov–Apr): Tue–Sat 9:30–18:30; Sun & holidays 10:00–15:00. Summer (May–Oct): Tue–Sat 9:30–20:30; Sun & holidays 10:00–15:00. Closed Mondays and listed holidays.

Admission: General €3; Reduced €1.50; Free Saturdays from 14:00 and certain days. See museum for full concessions and passes.

Tip: Treat this museum like a house visit: go straight to the period domestic rooms where the Goya hangs to understand how the work would have been seen in a private setting. Many visitors focus on the furniture and decor—take time to read the room labels explaining how Goya’s piece connects to Romantic taste and social life.

Palacio de Liria (Fundación Casa de Alba)

The Casa de Alba collection at Palacio de Liria holds works accumulated by one of Spain’s most important aristocratic collectors; Goya features prominently in that family connection because he painted numerous members of the Spanish nobility and the Alba circle. Seeing the Goya paintings in Liria is significant because they remain in the aristocratic, domestic setting closer to their historical context as private portraits and family commissions rather than museum showcases.

La marquesa de Lazán

Goya’s portrait of the Marquise (La marquesa de Lazán) presents a composed, aristocratic woman rendered with elegant costume detail and a penetrating, individualized expression. The painting’s significance lies in Goya’s ability to combine formal courtly representation with candid psychological observation, making the sitter both a status symbol and a distinct personality. Look closely at the fine treatment of costume and jewelry, the subtle brushwork around the face and eyes, and how light sculpts the features to convey both refinement and character.

Address: Calle de la Princesa 20, 28008 Madrid, Spain

Hours: Lunes: 10:00–12:45 (último acceso). Martes a Domingo: 10:00–12:45 (último acceso) y 16:00–18:00 (último acceso). (Fuente: palaciodeliria.com)

Admission: Desde 15€ (tarifa general a partir de 15€; entradas guiadas y reducidas disponibles). (Fuente: palaciodeliria.com)

Tip: Book a guided visit in advance—access is limited and the guided tour gives essential provenance details about the Alba family’s Goyas and how they stayed in the collection. On the tour, ask specifically about the portrait rooms: guides will often point out subtle retouches, frame choices and display histories that most visitors miss but that enrich understanding of these works as family heirlooms.

Francisco Goya and Madrid

Francisco de Goya’s professional life was deeply tied to Madrid from his arrival there in 1775 to work for the royal tapestry workshops through his long service at the court and the city’s principal institutions. He moved to Madrid in 1775 and produced cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory at Santa Bárbara (1775–1792). ¹ After successive promotions at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando—appointed lieutenant director of painting in 1785—Goya became a court painter (pintor del rey) and later pintor de cámara to Charles IV, securing official portrait and court commissions that shaped his reputation. ²³ Key works tied to Madrid include many of the tapestry cartoons, his official royal portraits (notably the Family of Charles IV, c. 1800), and the politically charged war imagery he produced around the Peninsular War; these works were widely collected by the Museo Nacional del Prado, which today holds the largest public group of his paintings and prints. ¹⁴ In his late Spanish period Goya painted the Black Paintings (1819–1823) on the walls of his house, the Quinta del Sordo, on the outskirts of Madrid—works central to his modern legacy. ⁵

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