Voces del Prado

A living museum

Javier Solana Madariaga, Trustee of the Museo del Prado, 2019-What's on

Today the Prado has much lower State financing than before. Today the Prado costs the State much less than it did before, which is to say, a significant campaign has been waged to encourage people to come to the Prado. Visitors pay for the Prado. The Prado also receives donations. A great deal of affection has been generated within society for the Prado. Large companies set aside more money for the Prado. Some pay a great deal. Today, the Museo del Prado really is a beloved child of the Government and a favourite son of society; I believe it is more loved today than it has ever been.
The Prado not only gained the Cloister of Los Jerónimos as part of its expansion, but it also now has the Salón de Reinos (“Hall of Realms”), which now forms part of the Prado and will be used to continue exhibiting the part of the collection that it has not been possible to exhibit up until now. All of this expansion at the Prado will also lead the streets surrounding the Museum to be modified so that the complex becomes an integrated whole. In my view, this integrated whole stretches from the Prado’s traditional building to the Retiro along the Streets of Felipe IV, El Casón, etc. There we are going to be able to find a certain kind of Madrid, a Madrid-Prado axis featuring not only the Museum itself, but something more. More than just the Museum with its extension. I believe it is going to be a marvellous area between La Castellana and El Retiro, one that is quite simply immersed in paintings. From the Prado, from the extension, from buildings that are going to be carefully converted, etc. In this respect, the Prado is very much alive, and, with these Bicentenary Celebrations, the Museum will receive yet another impetus, one that helps it to move forward and continue being Spain’s best museum and one of the best museums in the world.