Approach the contemporary art collection at the Queen Sofia Museum in a personalized and insightful manner. Your local guide has specialized in art history and will accompany you to the museum and give a short introduction to the tour and the city of Madrid.  Once at the museum, enjoy avoiding the queue and enter directly. Explore museum artworks, architecture, and history of the Spanish National Art Collection beginning in 1881, which is the year Picasso was born. During your tour of the Queen Sofia Museum, your knowledgeable guide will introduce you to the works of some of Spain’s most influential painters including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali, along with international artists. Your guide will teach you about the dictatorship regime and help you understand the effect that it had on the artistic expression of these Spanish artists, particularly during the Second Republic in the 1930's. Learn about the bombings and suffering experienced by people in Guernica and how this event shocked Picasso.  Your guide is prepared to customize the tour to meet the needs of each guest, whether you are a visitor with a general interest or a seasoned art lover. After enjoying your personalized tour, spend time visiting the temporary exhibitions or re-visit a specific artwork independently. You may want to reflect on the exhibits by resting your feet on a garden seat in the shady cloister or by having a coffee in a cafeteria.