Antiques and art galleries in Madrid

Madrid is a source of inspiration, an explosion of forms, colours and nuances that combine in the most exquisite taste in the best art galleries. Painting, sculpture, photography and design meet in the Spanish capital.

As well as being home to half the art galleries in the entire country, Madrid is a national landmark for antiques and vintage furniture. The city has hundreds of antique stores with meticulously chosen and restored European pieces to captivate you. Take note of this select tour of the best art galleries and stores in Madrid and find the most exclusive pieces to decorate your home in a unique style.

Madrid Art Gallery: the best art galleries in Madrid

This exclusive tour of art galleries in Madrid begins in the smart Salamanca neighbourhood, an area with a rich, wide-ranging culture. Between the post-war period and the Spanish transition, the aristocracy and upper-middle classes of Madrid opened up some of their private collections, creating numerous art galleries. Years later, the passion for works of art extended to the Las Letras neighbourhood, opening the way to the contemporary art exhibited today in the country's top galleries.

Whether you're a collector or you're just moved by the beauty of these works, we recommend a selection of Madrid's top art galleries that you can't miss.

Galería Casado Santapau

Located in the classy Recoletos neighbourhood, since 2007 this gallery has been exhibiting international contemporary artworks by young creative talents from all over the world. A cutting-edge venue in which to savour the latest in minimalism and geometry. Galería Casado Santapau has exhibited work by artists of the stature of Claudia Wieser, Eva Berendes and Aldo Chaparro.

Marlborough Madrid

Marlborough Madrid, in the famous Salamanca neighbourhood, is a landmark art gallery in the Spanish capital, displaying 19th and 20th-century paintings and sculptures. It also works together with Marlborough New York and London to exhibit the work of international and emerging artists in Spain. A highly stylish venue where talents like Luis Gordillo, Blanca Muñoz and Francisco Leiro have presented their best-known works. A must-see for lovers of Spanish pop culture.

Mondo Galería

One of the art galleries in Madrid you mustn't miss is Mondo Galería. For lovers of photography and design, this venue is an explosion of emotions and creativity. Located in the central Chueca neighbourhood, this gallery displays the work of emerging and international artists with stellar careers, like Man Ray, Jacob Aue Sobol and Lawrence Schiller.

Galería Kreisler

In the Salamanca neighbourhood, you can visit the Galería Kreisler, with more than 55 years of history behind it. Kreisler has a major collection of graphic work and originals by the best artists in Spain and abroad of the 20th century. Sculpture, photography, graphic work and painting by artists of the stature of Oli Berg, Carlos Evangelista and López Herrera will delight you.

Galería Herraiz

Without leaving the luxurious Salamanca neighbourhood, you can find the Galería Herraiz, with exhibitions of contemporary painting by the most outstanding artists on the Spanish scene. A venue over 35 years old that offers an exquisite selection in a variety of styles. Sculptors like Patricia Losada and Javier Gómez and painters like Jimmy Millán have exhibited their work in these famed rooms.

Antique stores in Madrid

As well as Madrid's art galleries, we recommend you visit exclusive interior decoration and antique stores that you'll fall in love with. Gazing at the delicate lines of a piece of 18th-century furniture, smelling the fine wood of French pieces and touching the delicately painted porcelain of a tea set is an experience you can only enjoy in the capital's most distinguished antiques and Art Deco establishments.

Lorenzo Castillo

Lorenzo Castillo, one of Europe's most famous interior decorators, has his store in Recoletos. Here you'll find a selection of 20th-century antiques concentrating on American pieces from the 40s to the 80s, a wide, comprehensive selection of Castillo's fabrics and, of course, one of his musts: fabulous lamps, including wall fittings in particular.

Entredós Antigüedades

On the luxurious Golden Mile is one of the most distinctive interior decoration and antique stores in Madrid. At Entredós Antigüedades you'll find 18th and 19th-century furniture and a selection of refined ornaments, bronzes, paintings, porcelain and clocks that combine beauty, art and the highest quality.

Tiempos Modernos

If you're passionate about Art Deco, Tiempos Modernos is an essential stop for you. A store located right in the centre of Madrid, just a stone's throw from the Palacio Real, where you'll find beautiful 20th-century antiques imported from France, Belgium, England, Germany, Italy and Denmark. It has magnificent pieces that are meticulously restored before being sold. Part of the premises is also set aside for an art gallery which displays paintings, sculptures, photographs and graphic work by Spanish and international artists such as Pep Carrió, Alfredo Alcain and Carmen Calvo.

La Europea

Have an experience reserved for the most exquisite of tastes when you visit La Europea, an establishment that sells and lends French, Swedish and Italian antiques with a bohemian, eclectic air, located right in the Chueca neighbourhood. You'll find unique 19th-century lamps, mirrors, ornaments and furniture.