Richard Avedon. In the American West, 1979-1984
JUNE.06.2026 ──────── AUG.30.2026
Richard Avedon
Roger Tims, Jim Duncan, Leonard Markley and Don Belak, coal miners, Reliance, Wyoming, August 29, 1979
© The Richard Avedon Foundation
Exhibition
JUNE.06.2026 ── AUG.30.2026
Where
Recoletos Exhibition Hall
Paseo Recoletos 23, 28004 Madrid
Opening hours:
Mondays (except holidays): 2 pm – 8 pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 11 am – 8 pm
Sunday and holidays: 11 am – 7 pm
*The evacuation of the hall starts 10 minutes before closing time. Last access (7:30 pm or 6:30 pm) only allows a 20 minutes tour to the exhibitions.
Closed:
December 25th, January 1st, 5th and 6th
Limited opening hours:
December 24th and 31st; January 5th:
11 am – 3 pm
General Ticket:
5 €
Free Admission time:
Mondays, 2 pm to 8 pm (except holidays)
How to arrive
Buses: 5 – 14 – 27 – 37 – 45 – 53 – 150
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Subway: Line 4 (Colón), line 2 (Banco de España) and line 5 (Chueca)
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Trains: C-2, C-7, C-8 and C-10
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Audioguides
Available online in Spanish and English. Online format, accessible via mobile without downloads or installations.
Included with the individual ticket. More information in the “Tickets” section.
Accessibility
Ramp for wheelchair access – The three floors of the hall are accessed by a generously-sized elevator.
Services
Locker Service.
Bookshop
LAIE Tel. 911 703 851 fmapfre@laie.es
Press
To get the press kit or any other info, just reach out to our Press Office.
Acclaimed as Avedon’s masterpiece, the series In the American West, 1979–1984 emerged from a commission by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, where it was exhibited in 1985; that same year Abrams published the photobook In the American West. For the first time in Spain, the 110 reference prints for this project are on view—these were selected and worked on by the artist himself in the darkroom for both the exhibition and the book.
In the American West arose at a decisive moment in the career of Richard Avedon (New York, 1923 – San Antonio, Texas, 2004), after decades devoted to fashion photography and portraits of public figures. When he began the project, Avedon had already exhibited at MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and was also a staff photographer for Vogue, who shot many of the magazine’s covers. Initially, the series sparked some controversy due to the stark contrast between his previous work and the anonymity of the individuals he now portrayed. The project reflected Avedon’s interest in addressing, through portraiture, a critical reflection on American society, leading him to focus on the working class of the American West. He expanded what was initially a much more limited project, ultimately creating an exceptional portrait of the human condition that, beyond its geographical and temporal context, is what In the American West represents.
The exhibition is organized by the Fondation Cartier-Bresson, Paris, in collaboration with Fundación Mapfre, with works on loan from The Richard Avedon Foundation.
Curator: Clément Chéroux , director of the Fondation Henrie Cartier-Bresson
Buy tickets
Richard Avedon. In the American West, 1979-1984
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Tickets
Online sale of tickets will be available since May 25th
Individual Ticket (includes audio guide)
- Allows to visit Richard Avedon. In the American West, 1979-1984 and Alejandro Cartagena. Ground Rules.
- GENERAL ADMISSION: €5 / REDUCED ADMISSION: €3 (Beneficiaries of reduced admission).
- FREE ADMISSION:
- General Free Admission (€0): Mondays (except holidays) from 2 pm to 8 pm.
- Free admission for eligible groups: Click here to see the groups entitled to free entry and how to obtain these tickets.
- AUDIO GUIDE: All individual ticket types (general, reduced, free) include audio guide.
- The audio guide is available online via the QR code provided in the room using a mobile device with internet access. If you don’t have mobile data, you can connect to the free Wi-Fi available in the hall.
- Please use the audio guide with headphones, which are not included with your ticket. For sustainability reasons, we recommend that visitors bring their own. Headphones can be purchased (€1) during the online ticket purchase process or at the ticket office.
- IMPORTANT: The headphones provided are JACK type. Before purchasing them, make sure they are compatible with your mobile device.
- If you choose not to use headphones, please keep your cell phone close to your ear and at a low volume.
Commented Tour (cultural mediation service)
- Fundación Mapfre offers visitors free access to its team of cultural mediators to help them better understand and appreciate the photography exhibitions.
- During the times listed below, the mediation team will be on hand in the gallery to provide visitors, upon request, with brief explanations of various aspects (aesthetic, historical, etc.) of the exhibition to help them gain a more complete understanding of it.
- Hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays: 5:00-8:00 pm; Fridays and Saturdays: 12:00-2:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm; Sundays and Holidays: 12:00-2:00 pm.
- The commented tour is not offered in august.
- No additional cost upon ticket. Information at reception desk.
Mapfre Clients
- Mapfre offers to its policyholders 2 free tickets (4 if Platinum Client) for each exhibition season. To obtain courtesy tickets of Mapfre, access the online ticket office and follow the purchase process. Tickets are discounted at the end of the purchase process: before payment, the program will request your ID and will automatically activate the free tickets that correspond to you.
- You can also get them at the ticket office in the room, presenting your ID.
- Invitations must be used in a single visit.
- Any question you have, please check these simple instructions.
Collaborating Entities
- If you belong to any of the entities that collaborate with Fundación Mapfre, you must obtain your reduced ticket (€ 1) at the ticket office in the room.
Audio Guide (headphones)
- All individual ticket types (general, reduced, free) include audio guide.
- The audio guide is available online via the QR code provided in the room using a mobile device with internet access. If you don’t have mobile data, you can connect to the free Wi-Fi available in the hall.
- Please use the audio guide with headphones, which are not included with your ticket. For sustainability reasons, we recommend that visitors bring their own. Headphones can be purchased (€1) during the online ticket purchase process or at the ticket office.
- IMPORTANT: The headphones provided are JACK type. Before purchasing them, make sure they are compatible with your mobile device.
- If you choose not to use headphones, please keep your cell phone close to your ear and at a low volume.
Group Visit (Richard Avedon)
- It’s mandatory for the Group Visit to have a guide or person in charge. To request a guide from the Foundation, ask please for information and rates to: cultura@fundacionmapfre.org
- The group must be made up of a minimum of 6 pax. a maximum of 15 pax (guide included).
- The use of an audio-guiding system is mandatory for the visit. If the group does not have its own, you must add it (€1/pax) during the online purchase process.
- Hours: MONDAY: 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm; TUESDAY, THURSDAY, and FRIDAY: 11:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. WEDNESDAY: 11:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. Maximum visit duration: 60 minutes.
- The formalization of the booking implies the acceptance of the Rules for the visit, especially those indicated for “Group Tour”.
€3/pax.
Schools
Educational activities for schools are developed entirely in Spanish. If you are interested please consult section Colegios y Familias.
Families
Educational activities for families are developed entirely in Spanish. If you are interested please consult section Colegios y Familias.
IMPORTANT: Before you start the ticket buying process, we strongly recommend that you take into account the following observations:
- Tickets changes or returns are not allowed except for justified force majeure.
- The purchase of tickets presupposes the acceptance of the Rules for the visit. We recommend reading it before entering the room.
- If your visit is scheduled for late in the afternoon, please remember that the room is cleared 10 minutes before closing time (7:50 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday; 6:50 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays).
- Fundación Mapfre is not responsible for the rates, schedules and other information applied on the websites of other entities where tickets for their exhibitions can be purchased.
- If the online ticket purchasing process is cancelled, suspended or cut off, please contact our support telephone numbers: +34 915 816 100 (attention exclusively during the opening hours of the exhibition hall).
- Other rates for eligible groups (44 KB)
If you need more information about the exhibition, you can see it here.
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