Voces del Prado

Celebrities at the Workshop: Buero Vallejo and Antonio López

Rocío Dávila Álvarez, Restorer, 1974-2015

I think the arrival of the American restorer, John Brealey, who is very popular in Spain, well he was a truly charming man who did a great deal for the workshop. He came to restore Las Meninas, and during that period with Brealey a large number of intellectuals of the time also came. Many artists came, such as Andrés Segovia, really well-known people. When John Brealey left, a number of people continued to come. For example, I have some great memories of Buero Vallejo and the way in which he looked at the works. You could tell he was really interested in the work and what he was being told about it. Antonio López also came some years later, when I was restoring Mercury and Argus by Velázquez and also The Three Graces by Rubens. I loved his comments; he really helped me a lot. He explained how Rubens turned his brushstrokes with his finger in order to shape the carnations, and that was really useful. It helps a great deal when a painter talks to you, because since he also paints, he knows how to do things and he can open your eyes. And you say, “well that’s true”.