Lázaro Galdiano Museum

The Lázaro Galdiano Museum is a private art museum in Madrid formed from the lifetime collection of José Lázaro Galdiano. It preserves his assembled holdings of paintings, works on paper, decorative arts and a specialist library.

The collection was built by José Lázaro Galdiano during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was preserved as a single bequest to create a public museum. The former residence was converted to house the collection and to provide public access to his library and assembled works.

The museum sits in Madrid within the Community of Madrid and occupies the collector’s former urban residence and adjoining spaces. Its central-urban setting places it among Madrid’s cultural sites and museum district.

• Founding collection: The core collection was assembled by collector José Lázaro Galdiano (1862-1947) and remained largely intact as a single bequest to form the museum.
• Collection strengths: The holdings emphasize Spanish and European paintings alongside arms, armor, ceramics, and manuscripts, making it strong for small Old Master works and decorative arts.

What to See #

• Palace building and rooms: Located in the collector's former private residence, the museum includes period rooms, a reference library, and a small garden that are part of the visitor route.
• Library and archives: Houses a specialist library and archive that document the collector's acquisitions and catalogues related to Spanish art and decorative arts.
• Permanent galleries: A sequence of permanent galleries presenting paintings, drawings, prints and decorative arts arranged by school and period for public display.