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On one occasion I was really scared. I was frightened because a group of Japanese came in, and a person came in with them carrying a bag with a rock or a brick in it. I was looking at the paintings, because this was first thing in the morning. When we arrived each day, what we did was to look at the pictures to see if they were in perfect condition, because the moment you enter the halls, you are responsible for what happens to the pictures. So you count the pictures and you look at them, and you write everything down in your report. If everything is OK, you sign the report. I was filling in my sheet and I heard a noise. I thought it had come from the group of Japanese visitors, probably one of their cameras falling, because that’s very typical. But no, when I looked, one of the pictures had been taken off the wall. Well, I didn’t think twice about it. I crossed the cordon and grabbed him by the arm and asked him what he was doing. He looked at me with this wild-eyed expression and said “Look! It’s the martyr of my life”. I don’t remember very well which painting it was, but I think it was The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew. Perhaps it wasn’t that painting exactly. But anyway, it was a painting that depicted a martyrdom, and he said it was a reflection of him, that his life was reflected in that painting. My colleagues told me “Let him be”, and I said, “I’m not going to, because if I do he’ll just continue to destroy more pictures”. But, of course, in the heat of the moment you’re not thinking, because he could have been carrying another rock, or he could’ve hit me with the same rock, or he could’ve had something in his bag. At the time all you do is your best in that situation, and that’s it.
They came and took the gentleman away. The Director was also called and Manuela Mena came down. She said “It’s OK, Conchi,” – because she could see I was totally shaken -, “take it easy, there’s no problem; he’s done very little damage; that can be restored and there’s no harm done”. After two or three days, management called me, the Director of the Prado called me, and told me that I’d been very brave, that not everyone would’ve done the same thing. And I said that I thought they would; in that situation, I think anyone would’ve done the same thing. And the Director replied, “Well, probably not everyone”. I think they would’ve, because who wouldn’t have? And the Director said “It’s also true that you could’ve been putting yourself at risk”. But I didn’t think about that. The fact is that management congratulated me and told me I’d been very brave. And that was that.
She began working at the Museum as a waitress, then going on to work for gallery security, with a brief period of time at the admissions desk.
Interview recorded on May 23, 2018
