Voces del Prado

The Two Great Experiences of My Life

Fernando Checa Cremades, Museum Director, 1996-2001

Being the Director of the Museo del Prado means being the most important person at a meeting, even though you may not be the most important in terms of protocol. In reality, the most important figure amongst all those who were there on many occasions was the Director of the Museo del Prado. Not because the Director is any particular person, but because he is the Head of the Prado.
I had a marvellous time organising exhibitions and organising the Prado’s art collection, with works by Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, Goya, etc. That’s why I accepted the job, of course. But then I spent most of my time solving storage problems, for example. At that time, the Museo del Prado didn’t have proper storerooms. All we could do in the Villanueva Building was to construct panels and leave an empty space behind; but in two days the space was already filled. The Museum’s security systems at the time also left a lot to be desired. Given that we had no money to install an appropriate security system, the Ministry for Home Affairs provided us with the funds from its budget: for staff, new cameras and other things. In this respect, the Museum’s modern security systems were introduced thanks to this collaboration with the Ministry for Home Affairs.
From an academic point of view and in terms of pleasure, there was nothing better than being able to work at the Museo del Prado with all its paintings. However, apart from this specific aspect in my capacity as an art historian, it was a great experience being able to meet so many people and establish links with so many bodies, because at university or other places everything is much more limited. These were the two greatest experiences of my life, without a doubt.