I Finally Went to the “Small Prado for Texas” — and Raimundo de Madrazo Is the Reason You Should Too

Photo: Meadows Museum

By Ana Cruz - Founder & Chief Editor

I’ll be honest: I’d been invited more than once to visit the Meadows Museum in Dallas, and every time I told myself, “Next time.” Life, schedules, the usual. But during the Media Preview Day for their new exhibition season, I walked in… and immediately felt that very specific kind of regret: How have I lived in Dallas for so long and not made this place a priority—especially as a Mexican woman who loves culture, beauty, and historia?

The Meadows isn’t just another museum stop. It’s part of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and is widely recognized for housing one of the most comprehensive collections of Spanish art outside of Spain. And the museum’s origin story says it all: it was created to be, quite literally, “a small Prado for Texas.”

Madrazo Makes His U.S. Debut in Dallas

The exhibition that pulled me in is Raimundo de Madrazo, making its U.S. debut after premiering at Fundación MAPFRE. It’s the first-ever retrospective dedicated to the artist, and it runs Feb. 22–June 21, 2026.

This show is a rare moment for Dallas: the Meadows is the only venue outside Madrid presenting the exhibition, bringing together nearly 75 works from major museums and private collections to trace Madrazo’s path from Madrid to Paris to Gilded Age America.

The “How Is This Even Paint?” Effect

What captivated me most wasn’t just the elegance—it was the precision. Madrazo was a leading genre painter and society portraitist, known for refined interiors, a luminous palette, and technical detail that made him a favorite among European and American elites.

Up close, the portraits feel almost impossible: the skin has life, the fabrics have weight, and the hands—las manos—are so expressive they practically narrate the scene for you. And here’s the best part: you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy this. Madrazo does what great art always does—he tells you about people, power, taste, and an era obsessed with appearances… while quietly revealing something real underneath.

Photo: Meadows Museum

From Paris to New York Even Without “Chasing Fame”

The exhibition highlights how Madrazo reinvented himself over decades, including his shift into portraiture and his repeated portrait tours to New York beginning in 1897, building a strong American clientele.

A fascinating example of that U.S. circle: the The Frick Pittsburgh notes that among his American clients were society figures like Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, Mrs. O.H.P. Belmont, Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney, and Mrs. Astor—proof of just how deeply he moved in elite spaces.

And yet, what I love most is this: even with all that success, the story you feel in the work is not “look at me.” It’s “look at them.” Look at the mood, the softness, the quiet confidence, the ritual of being seen.

Three Exhibitions, One Visit

All three exhibitions below run Feb. 22–June 21, 2026, which makes this season a perfect “one museum day, three discoveries” plan:

• Rubén Guerrero — the first U.S. solo exhibition dedicated to his work, blurring abstraction and figuration through layered forms and bold color.

• Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina — Saint Sebastian Revealed, centered on a major Renaissance painting and the research that helps us see it with new eyes.

Plan Your Visit (Quick Details)

• Where: 5900 Bishop Blvd., Dallas, TX 75205

• Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm | Thu until 9pm | Sun 1–5pm

• Admission: Adults $12 | Seniors $10 | Non-SMU students $4 | Free for youth 18 and under + members + SMU faculty/staff/students

• Free Thursday evenings after 5pm

• Tickets: meadowsmuseumdallas.org

One last thing: I also recorded an exclusive conversation for The Ana Cruz Show with Amaya Alzaga Ruiz, exhibition curator of Raimundo de Madrazo, who has dedicated years to studying Madrazo and the world around him. That episode is coming soon—and it’s going to make you see museums and painting with fresh eyes.

Until then: go. Take a friend. Take your mom. Take yourself. And let this be your reminder that some of the best cultural treasures in DFW are hiding in plain sight.

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Photos: Meadows Museum