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Saved art.
70th
anniversary of the international rescue of Spain’s art
heritage
From March 30 to May 30, 2010.
University cloister – La Nau
Horari: de dimarts a dissabte de 10 a 14 hores i de 16 a 20 hores. Diumenge
i festius de
10 a 14 hores. ENTRADA LLIURE |
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Restoration workshop of the Central Board
of the Artistic Treasure, Valencia 1937.
National Library, Spain |
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Organised by:
Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales (SECC)
and Universitat de València
Collaborators:
City councils of Madrid, Barcelona and Figueres.
Curator:
Arturo Colorado Castellary, Professor of History of
Contemporary Art, Universidad Complutense (Madrid)
The exhibition
Saved art. 70th anniversary of the
international rescue of Spain’s art heritage
brings back and tells us one of the most fascinating
stories of the Spanish Civil War: that of the
safeguarding and rescue of Spain’s art heritage and the
actions taken by international institutions to prevent
it from being destroyed and to ensure its preservation.
The exhibition presents and explores, in a visual and
accessible manner, the protection and rescue policy
implemented by the government of the Second Republic,
the evacuation of the most important artworks from
Madrid to Valencia and later to Barcelona and the
Ampurdán county, and finally to Geneva thanks to the
“International Committee for the Safeguarding of Spanish
Art Treasures" in February 1939.
Promoted by the Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones
Culturales (SECC) and curated by Arturo Colorado
Castellary, the exhibition will be installed at the
cloister of La Nau Cultural Centre of Universitat de
València. For two months it will feature prominently at
the university's historic headquarters. |
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Obreros de hoy respetad la labor de
nuestros compañeros de ayer,
Valencia, Ministry of Education, Directorate General of
Fine Arts, 1936.
Spain. Ministry of Culture. Centro
Documental de la Memoria Histórica. (PS-Posters, 1584) |
Transfer of the artworks to the Palais
des Nations. 14-17 February 1939.
Archives de la Société des Nations,
Bibliothèque de l’Office des Nations à Genève (Following
an agreement with the Directorate General for Books,
Archives and Libraries. Ministry of Culture) |
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Sir Frederic Kenyon, former director of
the British Museum, James G. Mann, curator of the
Wallace Collection, and Timoteo Pérez Rubio at
Valencia’s Colegio del Patriarca, standing by Las
meninas by Velázquez, August 1937.
National Library, Spain |
Arrival at Madrid’s North Station of the
train that carried the artworks from Geneva, 9 September
1939.
Agencia EFE |
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Exhibition set up and contents:
The exhibition is based on an innovative and motivating
design for visitors to feel immersed in the dramatic
circumstances surrounding the mission to save Spain's
art heritage and the dangers and difficulties faced by
the International Committee and the members of the
Artistic Treasure Board. Differently shaped and sized
packages seem to have been randomly scattered around the
cloister. They let us see life-sized reproductions of
the most representative pieces saved, at the same time
making up the bases for graphic and documentary pieces
of information including a hundred photographs of the
time, plans, maps, posters and other materials. The show
is competed by an interactive area about the evacuation
stages together with video sequences and digital slides
showing some of the saved art pieces. |
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Artist José María Sert.
Arxiu del Institut Municipal d’Historia
(Casa de l’Ardiaca), Barcelona |
Jacques Jaujard (French), Sub-director of
Musées Nationaux. French secretary and delegate from the
International Committee, Figueras.
Musées Nationaux, Archives de la
Direction des Musées de France |
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Checking the inventory and the records of
The triumph of death by Pieter Brueghel “The
Elder”, from the Prado Museum.
Archives de la Société des Nations,
Bibliothèque de l’Office des Nations à Genève (Following
an agreement with the Directorate General for Books,
Archives and Libraries. Ministry of Culture) |
Transporting Titian’s Venus and the
organ player to the Museum of Art and History.
Mundo Hispánico, issue
65, August 1953 |
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Visitors can follow the details of the rescue operation
chronologically: first from Madrid to Ampurdan passing
trough Valencia, thanks the protection policy of the
Republic's Art Treasures Board, as well as the
establishment of the International Committee for
Safeguarding Spanish Art Treasures, the dramatic
circumstances of the Figueras Agreement (on 3 February
1939, it authorised the transfer of the works to Geneva
and allowed for guardianship by the Society of Nations),
and the difficult journey to France. The third part
recreates the transfer from Perpignan to Geneva, the
inventory of the pieces recued –the Swiss customs
officers recorded a 139,890 Kg shipment with 1,868
boxes-, the exhibition held in this Swiss city and the
return to Spain in September 1939. The exhibition ends
with an epilogue about the historical debt incurred with
all the Spanish people or foreign nationals who fought
during the war to save Spain’s art heritage. |
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Transfer of the works from the Palais des
Nations to the Museum of Art and History.
Mundo Hispánico,
issue 65, August 1953 |
Visitors from across Europe crowding the
exhibition halls.
Mundo Hispánico,
issue 65, August 1953 |
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Images and documents have been borrowed from:
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Museo del Prado
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Biblioteca Nacional
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Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural Español
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Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
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Patrimonio Nacional
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Museo Español e Iberoamericano de Arte Contemporáneo
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Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Genève
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Direction des Musées de France
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Archivo General de la Administración
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Archivo Regional de la Comunidad de Madrid
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Archivo Manuel de Arpe
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Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica
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Manuel Moros - Fons Peneff
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Periódico ABC
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Agencia EFE
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Grupo de Investigación Complutense “Museum I+D+C.
Laboratorio de Cultura digital y museografía hipermedia” |
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Map of Spain with the route and dates of
the transfers of the evacuated art treasures, indicating
the moving of the Republic government’s seat |
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Air raid
of Figueras, February 1939.
National
Library, Spain |
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