An exhibition inside the Museo de Historia de Madrid brings together the complete six-painting 'Children's Games' series by Francisco de Goya with Flemish and Italian old masters from a private Madrid collection assembled by two 19th-century philanthropists. It's the first time much of the collection has left the school buildings where it has hung for nearly a century.
What it is
The exhibition draws on the Santamarca Collection, roughly 230 paintings from the Spanish, Flemish, Italian and French schools, assembled across the 19th century by Carlota de Santamarca, Duchess of Nájera, and expanded from holdings started by her father.
At its centre sits Goya's 'Juegos de niños' (Children's Games), six small canvases from around 1785-86 showing working-class children play-fighting, bullfighting and searching for birds' nests: the most complete surviving version of the series.
Alongside the Goya paintings, the show includes works by Luca Giordano and the Flemish animal painter P. P. Roos, part of a collection that both Santamarca and a second philanthropist, Antonia González, left to fund orphanages for children in Madrid in the 1920s. The two schools they founded merged into a single foundation in 2008, which still owns the paintings today.
Why it's worth a visit
The show is a rare public outing for a collection that has spent nearly a century inside working school buildings rather than a museum, meaning most of the paintings, including several of the Flemish and Italian works, have had little to no previous exhibition history. It also groups Goya's complete six-piece 'Children's Games' series in one place, something few collections outside Spain's major museums can offer.
Practical info
The exhibition is staged inside the Museo de Historia de Madrid's main galleries alongside the permanent collection, so a single museum visit covers both. No separate ticket or booking is required; visitors follow the general museum route to reach the temporary exhibition rooms.
FAQ
What is the Goya exhibition at the Museo de Historia de Madrid?
It's a free exhibition uniting Francisco de Goya's complete six-painting 'Children's Games' series with Flemish and Italian old masters from the Santamarca Collection, roughly 230 paintings bequeathed by two Madrid philanthropists in the 1920s. It runs from 2 June to 23 September 2026.
How many Goya paintings are in Juegos de niños?
The 'Children's Games' series comprises six small canvases painted by Francisco de Goya around 1785-86; this exhibition presents the complete set, considered the most fully preserved version of the series to survive.
What is the Santamarca Collection?
It's a private collection of around 230 Spanish, Flemish, Italian and French paintings assembled in the 19th century by Carlota de Santamarca, Duchess of Nájera, and bequeathed on her death in 1914 to fund a Madrid orphanage; it has remained largely inside school buildings ever since.
Is entry to the exhibition free?
Yes. Admission to the Museo de Historia de Madrid, including this temporary exhibition, is free and doesn't require advance booking.
Where is the exhibition held?
The exhibition is inside the Museo de Historia de Madrid at Calle de Fuencarral, 78, open Tuesday to Sunday, with the museum closed on Mondays.
