Submitted by Quinn Wichert the 2024 Spring program in Madrid, Spain…
This week I went to the Reina Sofia art museum in Madrid. Earlier in the semester I went to the Prado Museum and the two are vastly different. I got to see Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica”. I remember learning about this painting in high school. I thought it was incredible with the amount of emotion depicted on the victims faces. If you told me then that I’d be living 30 minutes from it, I would’ve said “yeah right!”. Seeing the massive painting in person reminded me of this memory from highschool and added to the surrealism of this whole experience. I never thought I’d get the opportunity to study outside of America and yet here I am.
I’m learning more and more about art and its unique ability to unite us or evoke similar feelings in vastly different people. While “Guernica” isn’t nearly as old as some of the paintings I’ve seen here, there is definitely something to say about the preservation of art and the importance of exposing yourself to different artworks. Now that I’m getting more involved with art and my personal development in the field, I find it very moving to see something that truly inspires you. For me, it was oddly enough this slab of wood covered in different varnishes to create this wonderfully abstract piece. I felt such a sense of motivation when seeing it that I’m heavily considering trying to do something like that to my beat up kitchen table or old desk. I love taking advantage of Madrid’s impressive art collection and I hope to be inspired by what I see for the rest of my life. (Submitted on March 25, 2024)