Here is everything you need to know about the temporary exhibitions at the Prado Museum available throughout 2025 and 2026. Discover which artists are headlining the cultural agenda and find all the practical details to make your visit perfect.
The first thing you should know is that while the Prado Museum’s permanent collection houses the most famous paintings, the temporary exhibitions are what truly bring the museum to life. These are curated selections shown for a limited time, allowing you to dive deep into a specific artist, era, or theme that isn’t always available to the public.
The best part about this format is that even if you’ve visited the Prado before, you’ll always have a reason to come back. The museum refreshes these exhibitions periodically, bringing in pieces from private collections or other international museums. It is a rare chance to see paintings that might not coincide in the same room again for decades.
Additionally, these exhibitions usually offer a much more specific and detailed narrative, letting you learn about curious or lesser-known aspects of art history. Doesn’t it sound like the perfect excuse to rediscover the museum over and over again?
If you are organizing your visit to the temporary exhibitions at the Prado Museum, you’ll be interested to know that the upcoming lineup offers a variety that goes far beyond the usual classics. Through the first half of 2026, the museum has chosen to combine the favorite portraitists of former kings with contemporary artists who have sought inspiration in these very halls.
To make sure you don’t miss any dates and can choose the one that catches your eye, take a look at this table:
| Temporary Exhibition | Closing Date |
|---|---|
| Antonio Muñoz Degrain (1840–1924) | January 25, 2026 |
| The Art Cabinet of Cornelis van der Geest | February 22, 2026 |
| Antonio Raphael Mengs (1728–1779) | March 1, 2026 |
| Juan Muñoz. Art Histories | March 8, 2026 |
| A Woman’s Prado III. Isabel de Farnesio | May 24, 2026 |
| The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew | June 30, 2026 |
If you enjoy landscapes with a dramatic touch, you are going to love this exhibition. Antonio Muñoz Degrain was a Valencian artist who broke away from strict realism to embrace a style full of color and subjective power. In this Prado Museum temporary exhibition, located in Room 60, his legacy is honored, highlighting his ability to transform nature into something almost fantastical.
The show is especially relevant because Muñoz Degrain was a major donor to the museum; here, you can see how his technique evolved into that characteristic brushwork, which was almost extravagant for his time. It’s an excellent opportunity to understand the transition toward modernity in Spanish painting. Just keep in mind that this exhibition is only available until January 25, 2026.
This exhibition focuses on one of Willem van Haecht’s masterpieces, which portrays the painting cabinet of a wealthy collector from Antwerp. The work is fascinating because, within a single painting, you can see dozens of other artworks represented, giving us an incredible idea of how art collecting was valued in the 17th century.
Located in Room 28, the display allows you to analyze this artistic microcosm in detail and understand the relationship between patrons and artists of the era. It’s one of those must-see stops if you like curious little details and discovering the stories behind the fortunes that allowed art to thrive. You have until February 22, 2026, to see it. It really is quite curious to observe how paintings were displayed hundreds of years ago compared to modern museums today.
To talk about Mengs is to talk about the most influential painter in Neoclassical Europe. This exhibition, which you’ll find in Rooms A and B of the Jerónimos Building, explores his role as a court painter and his obsession with perfection and ideal beauty. Mengs wasn’t just a prodigious technician; he defined the taste of an entire generation, including a young Goya who worked under his supervision.
You can admire portraits of astonishing precision and compositions that seek absolute balance. It is a lesson in elegance and rigor that transports us directly to the Enlightenment. You have until March 1, 2026, to enjoy his work. His portraits have a presence that is much more impressive in person than in any photograph, so we are sure you’ll enjoy this temporary exhibition.
This is a different kind of proposal, bringing us into the present through the work of one of the most international Spanish sculptors of the late 20th century. Juan Muñoz always maintained a constant dialogue with the great masters of the past. In this exhibition, located in Rooms C and D of the Jerónimos Building and spaces within the Villanueva Building, you’ll see how his figures and spaces interact with the essence of the museum.
The exhibition analyzes how Muñoz reinterpreted concepts like space, the gaze, and the human figure, often drawing inspiration from what he saw in these very rooms at the Prado. It is a journey that invites reflection and breaks the museum’s historical linearity in a very respectful and profound way. You can explore these “art histories” until March 8, 2026.
Photo: “Juan Muñoz The Nature of Visual Illusion, 1994-1997b” by MANYBITS, CC BY-NC 2.0.
This installment of the “A Woman’s Prado” series focuses on Isabel de Farnesio, the second wife of King Philip V and one of the most influential figures in the history of collecting in Spain. In fact, thanks to her refined taste and personal determination, key pieces that are now part of the Prado were acquired. The exhibition, located in the Villanueva Building, highlights her facet as a collector and her enormous political and cultural influence.
It is an exhibition that has sparked much curiosity, especially on social media. One Instagram user noted it is an “excellent tribute to Isabel de Farnesio; in this ‘A Woman’s Prado’ she represents a fundamental figure”. Ultimately, it’s one of those visits that changes your perspective on who was truly responsible for making the Prado what it is today. The exhibition will be open until May 24, 2026.
This exhibition focuses on an exceptional piece that allows us to delve into religious art and its narrative capacity. Located in Room 16B, the show revolves around the representation of this biblical moment, analyzing the iconography and the technique used by Rubens to convey the suffering and spirituality of the scene.
It is an opportunity to pause at a single work and understand the entire context surrounding it, from the preliminary sketches to the final execution. These exhibitions are ideal for those who enjoy analyzing every detail of classical painting without the distractions of crowded rooms. If you are passionate about Baroque painting and the power of religious imagery, make sure to visit the Prado before June 30, 2026, which is when the work will leave its temporary location.
The Prado Museum opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00, while on Sundays and holidays, the hours are reduced from 10:00 to 19:00. Additionally, keep in mind that the museum is closed on January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th. Don’t forget that access closes approximately 45 minutes before the official closing time.
If you are looking for peace and quiet, the best time for your visit is early in the morning, right when they open, or in the evening after 18:00. At these times, the museum tends to be calmer. Also, if you can, avoid weekends as the crowds are much larger. Our recommendation is to go during the week.
To see the essentials without rushing too much, the minimum recommended time is about two or three hours. However, if you want to include some of the temporary exhibitions in your tour, you might need an entire morning. Explore different itineraries you can take at the Prado Museum depending on your interests and availability.
The Prado offers free access Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 20:00, and Sundays and holidays from 17:00 to 19:00. However, be aware that lines are usually quite long during these hours. The upside is that you will enjoy a 50% reduction in the price of admission to temporary exhibitions during these times, subject to capacity.
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