Voces del Prado

The National Gallery Model

Gabriele Finaldi, Assistant Director of Conservation and Research, 2002-2015

The profile I had was that of a foreign curator specialising in Spanish art. I came from a museum, the National Gallery, which had become a model institution by the 1990’s in terms of its organisation, its relationship with the public and its programmes. I think Miguel Zugaza felt it was useful for the Museo del Prado to appoint a curator from there, one who also had strong links with Spain, including both professional and family ties.
I found it hard to understand many things, since I’d come from abroad and had never lived or worked in Spain. The truth is that it took me some time to understand many things, but I did see that my way of working in London had a certain use for the Museo del Prado.