Voces del Prado

The Restoration of Philip IV As a Hunter by Velázquez

María Teresa Dávila Álvarez, Restorer, 1982-2013

I must really thank everyone because this is an important Velázquez that forms part of the series of hunter paintings at the Museo del Prado. Afterwards, I restored Balthasar Charles [Prince Balthasar Charles As a Hunter] and then the Cardinal-Infante [Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria in Hunting Dress].
The first time a picture is restored, you must apply the criterion of carrying out a scientific, technical and historical study before you undertake the restoration. You know that you’re going to work as part of a team, with an applied chemical, a series of technical studies, a series of analyses (should it be necessary) and a number of conservators carrying out all the work. That is to say, I was backed by a whole team of professionals and wasn’t on my own.
I felt like a pioneer in terms of the beginnings of the workshop, my studies, the criteria we applied and the way we took up the restoration baton and modernised a little the way of doing things. All of this takes time, effort and study. It’s a job that requires a great deal of attention and time, because you have works of art in your hands that are world renowned. It’s up to you to ensure that the state of preservation of these works lasts over time in the best possible manner so that they can continue to be studied, analysed and enjoyed.