Voces del Prado

1974: The First Female Art Restorers

Rocío Dávila Álvarez, Restorer, 1974-2015

My name is Rocío Dávila and I joined the Museo del Prado in 1974. The first day I visited the Museum in order to introduce myself to the Director was a bit overwhelming, because at that time there were very few women working at the Museo del Prado. There were a few women working in management and in the secretary’s office, but we were the first women in the Museum’s other services. It was a world that wasn’t accustomed to working women and, in the beginning, you got the feeling that they were thinking “well, let’s see what this one’s going to do!”. But the truth is I received a very warm welcome at my new job. The people who worked in the restoration workshop were lovely, as was the Director of the Museum. I have some marvellous memories of my early years at the Museo del Prado. And I was also lucky enough to arrive at the Museum at a time that marked the beginning of a new era for the Prado.