Visiting the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
The gargantuan Guggenheim could have easily overshadowed the other cultural sites in Bilbao. Instead, it brought a new spotlight to a city that was already home to significant institutions. The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is a prime example, housing a collection of 6,000 to 7,000 works that trace art history from the 12th century to the present day. Its history is unconventional. Established in 1906 through the patronage of local collectors, the first museum opened in 1914 before merging in 1945 with the 1924 Museum of Modern Art. It has been reinventing itself ever since. Located in the heart of the Parc Casilda Iturrizar (Casilda Iturrizar Park), it has been honored with the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts.
Masters and Masterpieces
The stone and red brick of the original neoclassical building are connected to a bolder structure of metal and an immense glass wall that reflects the surrounding greenery. This architectural marriage reflects the story of a unique museum that follows only the path of talent. The collections are vast, with masterpieces arranged in a logical chronological flow. Drawn from both private and public sources, the collection highlights Spanish, Basque, and international works. You will find the Hispano-Flemish style of Bartolomé Bermejo, masters of the Spanish school such as El Greco, Goya, and Ribera, the Saint Peter in Tears by Murillo, and the striking portraits of Ignacio Zuloaga. The galleries also cover impressionism with Adolfo Guiard, the figurative work of Francis Bacon, and Gauguin's Washerwomen of Arles. The collection is extensive, also featuring Greco-Roman bronzes, ceramics, engravings, and sculptures by Eduardo Chillida, as well as a piece by Francisco Durrio located outside. As a repository of major works, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum also hosts rotating temporary exhibits.
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
The Gugg gets all the attention, but that makes people forget there were already museums in Bilbao before it opened. That is definitely the case for the Fine Arts Museum, which has some really beautiful collections of classical and medieval paintings.