On 28 June, the National Heritage Museum, which they call the Royal Collections Gallery, opened. It is a highly controversial area, both in terms of its architectural proposal, as it requires the replacement of a site under special historical-artistic protection, such as the Royal Palace and Moor gardens, as well as an agreement on funds. “competitiveness” with other museums in the capital. The latter is the case of El Bosco’s Triptych, in part due to the controversy that has arisen regarding certain star pieces of the Prado Museum that are actually National Heritage property and thus transferred to the museum. Delights or Tintoretto’s Sink, among others. After tackling this problem that caused rivers of ink at the time, and the change of director of the Collection Gallery, the real challenge was to create a space that reflected what certain works and objects meant in their daily use by the Spanish crown. from Isabella. To Felipe VI.
National Heritage is largely concerned with the protection of areas and objects that continue to have active use. We all admire that magnificent tapestry that overlooks the reception hall at Zarzuela, the exuberant decoration of the Throne Room at the initiation of credentials of Royal Palace Envoys, El Escorial as heads of state on their official visits to Spain, or as a pantheon of Kings and royalty at the Palace of El Pardo. Preserving these objects of high artistic quality and therefore unique in their condition, and striking the balance between their location within historical sites and their necessary use, to fulfill the function for which they actually are, is no easy task for Conservationists and National Heritage professionals. For this reason, the Royal Collections Gallery, which has been opened, will greatly facilitate this task. Also, being a good example of everything he owns makes the richness of his vast and diverse heritage much more tangible, as well as making it more tangible where the pieces come from. We always think of royal palaces and estates, but the extraordinary monasteries of Descalzas Reales and La Encarnación in Madrid, or the Huelgas Reales in Burgos, Tordesillas, Yuste and the long in the peninsula etc. It belongs to the National Heritage.
I think the name of the new site that National Heritage has opened in the Mansilla y Tuñón building in Jardines del Moro is very interesting. Its location is extraordinary, and its naming as a gallery in contrast to the stricter understanding of museum perhaps provides less rigidity in terms of the variability of the permanent exhibition of the collection. The number of pieces is so many and varied that, as expected, the visitor will be able to regularly renew his visit to this place and find novelties in his exhibition.
The opening of this venue after the expected time is great news. As has been commented on other occasions in this column, it is impossible to value and appreciate the unknown, so I believe, despite everything, that being able to see this first selection up close and in optimal lighting and conservation conditions. Taking them out of the context in which they were created will have a dual effect: on the one hand, the pleasure of the piece itself, for the viewer who can pay careful attention to all those details that would otherwise be impossible, and, on the other, arouse curiosity to see it in context, preferring a later visit to the places where it was assigned. And National Heritage has a uniqueness not found in other museums and collections by preserving the places and uses in which the objects were made.
It is a pity that this new exhibition space has been tarnished by political reasons for the Spanish historical heritage and therefore for all of us. But much more, the president and his family are not the first to be photographed in this newly opened venue.
Source: Informacion
Brandon Hall is an author at “Social Bites”. He is a cultural aficionado who writes about the latest news and developments in the world of art, literature, music, and more. With a passion for the arts and a deep understanding of cultural trends, Brandon provides engaging and thought-provoking articles that keep his readers informed and up-to-date on the latest happenings in the cultural world.