10 must-see works at the Reina Sofía Museum
Quick answer
The Reina Sofía's must-see works are Picasso's Guernica, Dalí's The Great Masturbator and Girl at the Window, Miró's Woman, Bird and Star and The Farm, Juan Gris's cubism, Julio González's iron sculptures, Chillida, and Tàpies and Saura's informalist art on floor 4.
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The key works, floor by floor
The museum reorganises its collection often; if a work is on loan, the floor plan at the entrance will say so. Locations are given by floor of the Sabatini building.
- 1
Room 206 · floor 2
Guernica — Pablo Picasso (1937)
The icon of 20th-century anti-war art. Painted in black, white and grey for the Spanish pavilion at the 1937 Paris World's Fair.
- 2
Floor 2
The Great Masturbator — Salvador Dalí (1929)
A dreamlike, anguished portrait of the painter's subconscious and a cornerstone of surrealism.
- 3
Floor 2
Girl at the Window — Salvador Dalí (1925)
A calm, realistic scene of his sister Ana María, before his surrealist phase.
- 4
Floor 2
Woman, Bird and Star — Joan Miró (1942)
Miró's universe of signs, painted during the war as a form of poetic resistance.
- 5
Floor 2
The Farm — Joan Miró (1921–22)
A detailed landscape of Mont-roig, with which Miró closed his realist period.
- 6
Floor 2
Juan Gris and cubism
The geometric clarity of Juan Gris, one of the great cubists, shown here in one of the best collections of his work.
- 7
Floor 2
Julio González sculptures
A pioneer of welded iron sculpture, admired by Picasso and a collaborator of his.
- 8
Floor 4
Tàpies and informalism
Matter turned into painting: sand, marble dust and objects in the works of Antoni Tàpies.
- 9
Floor 4
Antonio Saura and the El Paso group
Spanish abstract expressionism born in the post-war years, with tormented figures and violent gestures.
- 10
Floor 4
Eduardo Chillida
Sculpture in dialogue with empty space, by one of the great Basque artists of the 20th century.
How to see them all in one visit
Most are on floor 2 of the Sabatini building, so you can see almost everything in 2 hours. Our 2-hour route follows the exact order. If a room is closed, the day's floor plan shows where each work has moved.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Guernica in the Reina Sofía?
In room 206 on floor 2 of the Sabatini building.
How big is Guernica?
About 3.5 metres tall and 7.8 metres wide.
Can you photograph Guernica?
No. Photography is not allowed in the Guernica room.
Does the Reina Sofía have Dalí?
Yes. It has several key Dalí works on floor 2, including The Great Masturbator.