Voces del Prado

Professor Pérez Sánchez and his honesty

Felipe Garín Llombart, Museum Director, 1991-1993

The Prado Museum had been directed the previous eight years by Professor Pérez Sánchez, appointed by Minister Javier Solana. He resigned or was removed following some incidents that we might call collateral damage from the first Gulf War.
The Spanish government went through very difficult times with the first Gulf War, and many Spaniards were opposed to the government's involvement and its possible alliance with U.S. armed forces in their efforts to re-conquer Kuwait.
Many Spanish intellectuals voiced their reflections on the inadequacy of Spain's position and its becoming involved in the war, unnecessarily, in their opinion. Right then Professor Pérez Sánchez acted as an intellectual rather than as a public officer. In any event, the Director of the Prado Museum is always a Director General within the Ministry of Culture. As a result, there are certain boundaries that bar you from taking a stance against your own government. Pérez Sánchez wrote a letter in which he openly voiced his opposition to Spain's involvement, siding with people opposed to the Gulf War. The government reacted by removing the officers of a certain level who had spoken out against the government's grave decision. By grave decision I mean that we are dealing with war, not with a light-hearted matter. So those people were removed from office.
Pérez Sánchez was caught entirely off guard. He wrote a letter to the members of the Trust stating that he never imagined that an opinion contending something which falls within the realm of freedom of opinion could lead to removal from office. But that was what happened. He was completely surprised. He was disappointed, it led to serious difficulties for the Minister, who was later removed and replaced by [Jorge] Semprún, and then Semprún himself was removed, so for two months there was no Minister [of Culture]. They appointed [Jordi] Solé Tura and two months later the Minister appointed me as the Director.
I was in the Museum four months after they had removed Pérez Sánchez, with whom I had a very great relationship. The first thing I did was ask the Trust of the Museum to appoint him as Honorary Director of the Prado because, the way I saw things, he could not just be brushed aside from the Prado Museum and should always have a desk and a place to study, read or write in the capacity of honorary director. It was not at all cumbersome, only an honour. And I was the one who got it done. Some liked the idea, others didn't. I couldn't care less because I always believed in the scientific, professional and personal honesty of Professor Pérez Sánchez. I never shy from the fact that I was the one who proposed that he become the honorary director.