Voces del Prado

A Tremendous Change in My Life

María Teresa Dávila Álvarez, Restorer, 1982-2013

I finished my Restoration Degree in 1969 and I started working in 1970. I had to leave the Restoration Institute because I had to go to live outside Madrid. I got married and my husband had to go and work outside the city. They’re periods you go through, and I had to go through that period. I didn’t think that I might be able to stay and work here for a while. And I remember that I left in tears. I found it extremely difficult to give up my work and I had to stop working for six years and disconnect myself from that world. But I didn’t lose contact entirely because my sister continued working and I continued to come to Madrid. 18.50
I began at the Museo del Prado when I started working again, and, suddenly, working with those paintings was like starting anew. And I experienced a tremendous sense of development. Now what pains me is the fact that I’ve retired, because I would continue just the same, even though I might work in a different way. It’s a very tiring job and I understand that your physical faculties are not quite the same. You need really good eyesight, poise and concentration. Retirement is a tremendous change in my life.