The Meadows Museum, SMU, presents a full season of public programs this spring in conjunction with Raimundo de Madrazo, the first-ever retrospective dedicated to the celebrated Spanish painter, on view Feb. 22–June 21, 2026. Highlights include a multi-part humanities lecture series, curator-led gallery talks, a free family day, preschool playdates and art-making opportunities designed for visitors of all ages. Together, these offerings invite audiences to explore Madrazo’s art, artistic circle and cultural context through multiple perspectives.
Organized by the Meadows Museum and Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid, the exhibition at the heart of this spring’s programming traces Madrazo’s international career as he became one of the most successful painters of the Belle Époque. Featuring nearly 75 works from major museums as well as private collections, the exhibition follows the artist’s path from his early years in Madrid to the salons of Paris to Gilded Age America. The Meadows Museum is the only venue outside Madrid to present the exhibition.
Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta (1841–1920) was a leading genre painter and society portraitist whose refined interiors, luminous palette and technical precision made him a favorite among European and American elites. A central figure in Paris’ cosmopolitan art scene, he built a career that bridged academic tradition and the emerging commercial art market. Although he achieved an uncommon degree of success as a painter, Madrazo’s reputation and legacy receded in the wake of the avant-garde movements that would shape artistic production during the 20th century. This retrospective returns Madrazo to the spotlight, giving long overdue attention to the brilliant career of a talented Spaniard who played a key role in the artistic scene of the 19th century.
Below is a list of programs presented in connection with Raimundo de Madrazo. A complete calendar of Meadows Museum programs is available at meadowsmuseumdallas.org/calendar. All programs take place in person at the museum on the SMU campus.
LECTURES AND TALKS
LUIS MARTÍN LECTURE SERIES IN THE HUMANITIES
Bob and Jean Smith Auditorium
March 13, 20 and 27, from 10:30–11:30 a.m.
$60 for the three-part series; free for members at the Individual level and above and SMU students/faculty/staff
Space is limited, advance registration required; purchase tickets here
This three-part lecture series investigates themes connected with Raimundo de Madrazo, examining the artist’s work, his artistic circle and the broader cultural forces that shaped his career.
Friday, March 13: Through Rose-Colored Glasses: Raimundo de Madrazo’s Social Fantasies
Lecturer: Oscar Vázquez, Professor of Art History, University of Illinois
Friday, March 20: Tio Raimundo: Congruences and Contrasts between Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo and Raimundo Madrazo y Garreta
Lecturer: Wendy Ligon Smith, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia
Friday, March 27: Raimundo Madrazo and Luis Jiménez Aranda: Opportunities and Challenges of an Expatriate Life
Lecturer: Elizabeth Boone, Professor of the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Alberta
GALLERY TALK
Framing Femininity: Portraits of Women by Raimundo de Madrazo
Patricia Manzano Rodríguez, Curator, Meadows Museum
Jake and Nancy Hamon Galleries
Friday, April 24, from 12:15–1 p.m.
Free with museum admission; space is limited, register here
Gallery Talks bring the perspectives of local and international guest speakers to the Meadows.
FAMILY AND DROP-IN PROGRAMS
SENSORY CART
Weekends: March 28-29, April 25-26, from 1–3 p.m.
Jake and Nancy Hamon Galleries
Free with museum admission; no registration required
Stop by the Sensory Cart in the galleries to explore art through multiple senses. Visitors are invited to touch different textures, smell distinctive scents and listen to sounds that bring a featured work of art from Raimundo de Madrazo to life.
PRESCHOOL PLAYDATE
Tuesdays: April 14, May 12 and June 9, from 9–10 a.m.
Education Studio and Museum Galleries
Free with museum admission; space is limited, registration required here
Calling all little ones and their grown-ups! This program welcomes children and their adults into the museum before it opens to explore art together, focusing on the making and doing rather than the final product. Enjoy songs and story time led by Highland Park Library staff members, look at a work of art within the Raimundo de Madrazo exhibition, experience a new art-making process and more. Recommended for ages 2-5, but all children are welcome. This is not a drop-off program; children must be accompanied by at least one adult over the age of 18.
OPEN STUDIO
Sundays: March 22 and May 24, from 1–4 p.m.
Education Studio
Free; does not include museum admission
Drop by the Education Studio each month for the opportunity to explore materials and create art projects inspired by works on view in Raimundo de Madrazo. A new project is offered each month for children of all ages. All materials are provided. Children must be accompanied by at least one adult over the age of 18.
FAMILY DAY
Sunday, April 12, from 2–4 p.m.
Museum Galleries
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; children must be accompanied by an adult; registration encouraged here
One of the Meadows Museum’s most popular annual events! Bring the whole family for FREE art-making, gallery activities, story time and more while exploring the museum and Raimundo de Madrazo. Strollers are welcome, changing tables will be available, and parking in the museum’s underground garage is free. This is not a drop-off program; children must be accompanied by at least one adult over the age of 18.
GENERAL INFORMATION
This exhibition has been organized by the Meadows Museum, SMU, Dallas and Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid, and is funded by a generous gift from The Meadows Foundation. Promotional support is provided by the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.
The Meadows Museum is located on the SMU campus at 5900 Bishop Blvd., Dallas, TX 75205. Hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Thursday and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free for museum visitors. General admission is $12 adults, $10 seniors 65+, $4 non-SMU students; and free for Meadows Museum members, SMU faculty/staff/students, and youth 18 and under. For more information, go to meadowsmuseumdallas.org.
ABOUT THE MEADOWS MUSEUM
The Meadows Museum is the leading U.S. institution focused on the study and presentation of the art of Spain. In 1962, Dallas businessman and philanthropist Algur H. Meadows donated his private collection of Spanish paintings, as well as funds to start a museum, to Southern Methodist University. The museum opened to the public in 1965, marking the first step in fulfilling Meadows’s vision to create “a small Prado for Texas.” Today, the Meadows is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Spanish art outside of Spain. The collection spans from the 10th to the 21st centuries and includes medieval objects, Renaissance and Baroque sculptures, and major paintings by Golden Age and modern masters. For more information visit meadowsmuseumdallas.org.
