Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria facts for kids
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| Established | 1907 |
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| Location | C/ Rubio, 6 Santander, Spain 39001 |
The Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria, often called MAS, is an exciting art museum in Santander, Spain. It focuses on modern and contemporary artworks. This means you'll find art from recent times, showing how artists express themselves today.
Contents
History of the MAS Museum
The first MAS museum opened its doors in 1908. Back then, it was known as the Municipal Library and Museum. Its collection was displayed in a room inside the Santander city council building. In those early days, the museum had many different kinds of objects. It showed paintings, sculptures, and even items from archaeological sites. There were also objects related to natural history and the study of cultures, called ethnology.
A New Home and Focus
In 1923, the city built a brand new home for both the library and the museum. This building was designed by an architect named Leonardo Rucabado. Later, in 1941, the library moved out of the building. The museum then took over the entire space. This was a big change, and the museum began to focus its collections. It decided to keep only the paintings and sculptures. The archaeological, natural history, and ethnology objects were given to other museums in Santander and the Cantabria region.
The museum re-opened on November 3, 1947, with a new name. It was called the Municipal Museum of Painting. In 1957, the museum changed its name again. It became the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts of Santander.
Growing and Specializing
Between 1978 and 1993, the museum's collection grew even bigger. It added many works by younger artists, especially those from Cantabria. The inside of the museum was also repaired and updated during this time. The museum started to focus more and more on modern and contemporary art. Finally, in 2011, the museum got its current name. It is now known as the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Santander and Cantabria.
Art Collections at MAS
The MAS museum holds a large collection of art. There are 1,870 works in total. These include paintings, sculptures, photographs, engravings, and installations. About 100 of these artworks are older pieces. They are by Spanish, Flemish, and Italian artists from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
All the other artworks are from more recent times. They date from the late 19th century up to the 21st century. Most of the museum's works are by Spanish artists. However, it also has about 150 works by artists from other countries. One famous piece is La muerte del toro (The Death of the Bull). This painting is by the Italian contemporary artist, Umberto Pettinicchio. The museum also has the Vollard suite of etchings by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. The most well-known work in the museum is a portrait of Ferdinand VII of Spain by Francisco Goya.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria para niños
