Voces del Prado

Political tact and public relations required to head The Prado

Francisco Calvo Serraller, Museum Director, 1993-1994

It was a mistake to appoint me as Director of the Museo del Prado. I lacked some of the many qualities that are required to perform the job well. What I didn’t lack was foresight and willingness, or knowledge of the Museum.
I think I lacked political tact. I wasn’t very good at public relations either. I don’t know what I would have achieved had I possessed sufficient political diplomacy and a gift for public relations: maybe nothing, or a great deal. I really don’t know. But I believe these are essential qualities for the head of such an important museum. They are key for any head of an important museum, but for the head of a public museum, even more essential.
It’s not sufficient to simply make out a list of requests; you have to know how to present it. I wasn’t used to this. I had no experience. It may seem naïve, but I didn’t have that experience and I paid for it. I concentrated on what I thought I could do best and I paid no attention to this aspect. You might think, in principle, what does it matter how you go about making dispatches and things of that kind? But, actually, it’s very important for the head of an institution of this kind. In this respect I was a disaster.