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I remember that I started when Pérez Sánchez was director, then it was Garín and after that I don’t remember if it was Luzón or Calvo Serraller. The last two didn’t stay long. What I most remember about Calvo Serraller was that he supported the warders a lot. We used to have renewable contracts. Even the group of people who joined just prior to me were got rid of but they rejoined thanks to him. My group never had to leave. We continued with renewable contracts that made us temporary staff; and that carried on until we passed the exams to obtain fixed posts. It was many years of worrying about whether we would be got rid of.
The directors can inspire you a lot. Calvo Serraller, for example, appreciated the warders a lot and looked after us. He sent us a letter, I can’t remember if it to say goodbye or congratulating us, but it was a very pleasant letter. In that sense you could see that Calvo Serraller appreciated us and he told us so. I imagine that all directors value the warders but it’s nice when they tell you so. He was followed by Zugaza, who was at the Museum for many years and did a great job: the whole extension, the very up-to-date exhibitions... Zugaza made the Prado very lively.
There was also Checa Cremades. He was quite distant, he didn’t say hello, but even so I liked him as a person. There was one day when I didn’t let him into a gallery as I didn’t know him. As we hadn’t been introduced we didn’t know he was the new director. He wanted to go in and I said he couldn’t as it was roped off. He looked at me very seriously and said, “Don’t you know who I am?” He introduced himself and I replied, “I’m very sorry, please do go in.” He was also a good director, of a different type.
She worked at the Museo del Prado as a gallery attendant from 1990 to 2013. She also worked for some time at the information desk and at the admissions desk.
Interview recorded on April 23, 2018
