Voces del Prado

Qualities required to head The Prado

Francisco Calvo Serraller, Museum Director, 1993-1994

Directing the Museo del Prado is complex. This can be easily understood because the Director doesn’t simply have to be an art expert. Many other things are required. The Museo del Prado is made up of many different buildings. It has a staff of around one thousand people, all pursuing different jobs, duties and missions. Its budget is large, although still insufficient in terms of what the State contributes. The Museum’s degree of autonomy is marvelous in the sense that it can pursue its own development in a coherent manner, but this also entails complementary work. Being Director is, perhaps, one of the most complex of posts, due to the sheer number of buttons you have to press if you are to do the job properly.