Prado Museum in the Spanish Civil War
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| The Third of May 1808, Goya, 1814 |
Velázquez’s Meninas, Goya’s The Second of May… seem to always have
been there hung on the Museo del Prado’s walls, but it’s not that way.
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| (Picture: Prado Museum) |
In July 1936 the Spanish Civil War started. As a consequnce of the
bombing in Madrid, and despite the flare signposting, the Museum was also
bombing, but wasn’t severely damaged. Due to the advance of the franquist
forces, the republican government decides to move to Valencia in November 1936.
And so did the Museum’s artworks: the government considered itself the one in
charge of the country’s cultural heritage, and that’s why it should be kept
where the government was located. The transportation was carried out by the Junta
de Defensa del Tesoro Artístico, keeping a log and a specific order. In May
1938, though, the government has to move to Catalonia, and this time, the
transportation would be unlogged and chaotic. A truck carrying Goya’s The Second and The Third of May crashed
against an empty house in Benicarló and a balcony fell on The Second of May: the damage caused is still visible by the
left bottom corner. This is paradoxical, since this painting, which showed the
horrors of another war, was damaged as a consequence of the war.
All these artworks were stored in the Peralada Castle, close to the
frontiers and with a solid structure, but also a weapon storage, which could
make the castle burst in any moment. In January 1939 after the defeat of
Barcelona, the government moves to Figueras.
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| Prado Museum in 1939 (Picture: Prado Museum) |
Meanwhile, the international community was getting worried about the
fate of these artworks. José María Sert, artist, without a certain political
allegiance, supports the formation of an international committee that would
assure the protection of them in Geneva, in the League of Nations. But these
weren’t allowed to take part in state issues and they didn’t want to seem to be
supporting Franco. In the end, due to English and French museum’s pressure,
they accept to keep the collection safe, committing to nothing else. None of
the 2 sides supported this committee but they allowed them to do their will:
there was no other alternative. A treaty was signed with the republicans on 2nd
and 3rd February in Figueras, all in a rush, since the Franquist troops were
already approaching. The paintings were taken through the French frontier
between the 3rd and 4th February, using 71 trucks carrying 140 tons each, and
thousands of people fleeing away. In France, the painting parted towards
Switzerland by train, apparently paid by Picasso. In Geneva, an inventory of
the paintings was done while the legality and competences of the International
Committee were being discussed.
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| The artworks return, 1939 (Picture: Prado Museum) |
When the war ends, the paintings had to return home: by then, the
League of Nations had already recognised Franco’s government. But, before
giving the paintings back, a great exhibition is carried out in Geneva, which
turned out to be a great event: even the King Alfonso XIII, who was exiled in
Switzerland, went to the opening and so did many other politicians and members
of European Monarchies. A day after the exhibition’s ending, World War II was
declared. The paintings get to cross France, which was taking part in the war,
by train and with a great number of inconvenients: the artworks wouldn’t be
able to cross the bridgets, the locomotive would disengage, the Meninas had fallen in the wagon making
them have to stop, the last wagon would start to be on fire…On 7th July 1939,
the Museo del Prado would re-open: the paintings we can enjoy today were
wandering around for 3 years and a half as hostages of a fratricidal
confrontation …
Note: this is a a quite simple summary of a great work by Colorado
Castellary. In case you want to know more details, I suggest reading his book.
Fuentes: Colorado Castellary, A. Éxodo y exilio del Arte. Madrid, Cátedra, 2008;
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