Updated:
Save
The dinner held last night at the Prado Museum on the occasion of the NATO summit in Madrid had as its unexpected protagonist the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who proved to be passionate and knowledgeable about painting. While the rest of his colleagues chatted animatedly in small groups, he was lost in the corridors of the art gallery. We saw it wandering alone through the central gallery, through room 16B, dedicated to Dutch painting; stopped to admire ‘The Family of Carlos IV’, by Goya, which presides over the rotunda at the end of the gallery… But if there was a painting that caught his attention as soon as he stepped foot in the museum, that was ‘Charles V at the Battle of Mühlberg’ (1548), by Titian.
The impressive portrait commemorates the victory of Charles V over the League of Smalkalda in Mühlberg on April 24, 1547. The painting is flanked by two portraits of Charles V and Philip II, also portrayed by Titian. He looked at them, surely, with a mixture of admiration for the painter and, why not, a certain envy towards the Spanish empire of that time. Or perhaps he remembered when the emperor was thinking of sending troops to England when Henry VIII wanted to annul his marriage to his aunt, Catherine of Aragon.
Since the visit to the Prado started an hour late, plans had to be changed on the fly. Instead of the guests being greeted by Pedro Sanchez and his wife (in passion red) in the Dutch painting room, as planned, it was done in the central gallery, which was accessed by climbing the Muguruza staircase. They say that as soon as he reached the gallery, Johnson’s eyes were fixed on the emperor, painted by Titian. He pointed to it and even addressed it. But he not only had eyes for Carlos V. He also stopped in the central gallery before paintings by the always exuberant and sensual Rubens, such as ‘The Garden of Love’, ‘Diana and Calisto’, ‘Diana and her nymphs surprised by satyrs’ and ‘ The three Graces’, oblivious to the prying eyes of the prime minister. Oblivious to the rest of the leaders present in the museum, he continued walking through the rooms. In the one dedicated to Dutch painting he was able to admire works by Jacques Jordaens, Rubens y Van Dyck. Of the latter, impossible not to be moved by his ‘Piedad’.
Boris Johnson’s interest in painting did not go unnoticed on social media. Twitter caught fire with funny messages and memes. In a tweet with much sarcasm we read: «Boris Johnson walking alone in a room in the Prado. Since the Civil War there has not been a similar danger for the Spanish historical heritage. «We are left without Velázquez and without Grecos. Beware! », read another laconic tweet, alluding to British ‘rapines’ throughout history. And if not, ask the Greeks. They are still claiming the Parthenon friezes. But there are messages on the Internet with more bad grapes towards the prime minister: «Boris Johnson looking for the Prado bar to have a few pints«. His famous ‘parties’ during confinement continue to haunt him like a mantra.
Boris Johnson walking alone in a room at the Prado Museum. Since the Civil War there has not been a similar danger for the Spanish historical heritage. pic.twitter.com/k5WgzZLE3t
– NIPORWIFI @ (@niporwifi) June 29, 2022
But it was not only Johnson who was dazzled by the Prado’s treasures. They say that Emmanuel Macron and Mario Draghi They also really enjoyed their visit to the museum. The luckiest was the president of Ireland, Michael Daniel Higgins, the first of the guests to arrive at the Prado. He was able to take a short tour of the rooms accompanied by Andrés Úbeda, deputy director of the museum, and Alejandro Vergara, head of Flemish Painting Conservation at the art gallery, who were there together with the museum’s director, Miguel Falomir. It was precisely Vergara who, shortly after, acted as luxury cicerone (he has an American mother, is bilingual, and is also a very pleasant expert in explanations) around the museum with the granddaughters of the president of the united statesJoe Biden. For about 40 minutes, while the dinner was taking place, they were able to admire the main treasures of the museum: the works of Bosch, Velázquez, Goya… Finnegan and Maisy, 22 and 21 years old respectively, are the daughters of Hunter Biden, eldest son of the president of the United States, and his ex-wife Kathleen Buhler. Maisy is an artist. In social networks she shows her works.
They left the museum accompanied by their grandfather. As a curiosity, Joe Biden was the only one who did not enter the Prado through the Puerta de Velázquez. He arrived in his already popular car, ‘La Bestia’, to the museum’s loading dock (on Calle Casado del Alisal), where works of art are usually loaded and unloaded. Once inside the museum, she was received by Javier Solana, president of the Prado Board of Trustees and former Secretary General of NATO. They say that it was a very cordial meeting and that Biden was charming with Solana.
After the concert of the kyiv Symphony Orchestra and, before dinner, the guests passed from the central gallery to the rooms dedicated to El Greco to go to Room XII and become a photo before ‘Las Meninas’. They did it in two groups on either side of Velázquez’s masterpiece. Apparently, it was Pedro Sánchez himself who explained the details of the canvas to the guests. And that there were great specialists in the field, who would have illustrated such distinguished visitors much better. Those responsible for the museum are very satisfied with the outcome of the visit.
Gifts
The heads of state and government received coins minted by the National Currency and Stamp Factory on the occasion of the 275th anniversary of the birth of Francisco de Goya. Is about a silver fifty with a fragment of the work ‘La Vendimia’ or ‘El Autumn’ and the painter’s self-portrait on the obverse. The ministers who participated in the act were presented with one ounce of silverwhich represents the painting ‘El Quitasol’ and, on the other side, the sculptural work of Goya by Mariano Benlliure, located in front of the door with the name of the Spanish painter in the Prado Museum.
Boris Johnson looking for the El Prado bar to have a few pintspic.twitter.com/l022T2wAtn
– Jacobo Buceta (@jacobobuceta) June 29, 2022
For their part, the companions received the glass sets that they saw being made during the visit they made to the Royal Glass Factory of La Granja (Segovia). It is a set of bottles, engraved with the coat of arms of Spain, and a set of glasses carved by the masters of the Royal Factory.
See them
comments