Voces del Prado

I Miss My Daily Contact with the Works

Fernando Checa Cremades, Museum Director, 1996-2001

What I really miss since I left the Museo del Prado is my daily contact with the works. I come to the Museum a lot, although not as often as I’d like. But before, I had the obligation to come every day, even Saturdays and Sundays, sometimes in a bit of a resentful mood because I was tired. It was fundamental to walk around the halls several times a day. Especially during the early years, when the office was still in the Villanueva Building itself. That was truly enriching.
One of the most exciting moments took place during the Velázquez Centenary year when the Main Velázquez Hall, Hall 12, was opened, after having been closed for months due to the works on the roof and the new lighting, which meant that the Velázquez works were scattered throughout other halls. Las Meninas was in a small room and, on that day, it was moved to Hall 12 to accompany the rest of the Velázquez pictures, which had already been hung. This event was reported in the press. I remember perfectly that I talked for five minutes and said that being in that hall at the precise moment when Las Meninas and the rest of the Velázquez works were hung back up was like being in the Great Hall of the Bisons at the Altamira Caves or in the Sistine Chapel, that there was no other place in the world where you could feel such excitement at the collection of works on show. And I still believe it’s true. Although it’s a bit of a cliché, because the Main Hall has been exhibiting Velázquez’s works since 1899. I don’t know whether it’s my favourite hall, but it probably is.