Spain's temples of art

PICASSO'S paintings hang proudly on many a splendid wall around the world. But the roots of his inspiration began in Spain, where he was born. At the age of 14, he visited the legendary Prado Museum in Madrid and saw the canvases of Spanish masters such as El Greco, Velazquez and Goya. The prodigy, who could by then draw remarkably realistic figures, was deeply inspired by the brilliance of their paintings.

Even when he moved to Paris and started the Cubist movement, the seeds of his artistic vision can be found in works in Prado Museum. For in Prado, the walls shimmer with treasures not just by Spain's old masters but also Titian, Veronese, Rubens and Poussin - all of whose influences can be detected in Picasso's paintings.

Paris, London and New York may be regarded as epicentres of the modern art world. But Spain and its cities are no slouches in the artistic and architectural departments. With its wide acceptance of mavericks and iconoclasts, Spain has encouraged the flowering of many unusual artistic geniuses such as Gaudi (art and architecture), Dali (art), Lorca (theatre), Bunuel (cinema) and Almodovar (cinema).