SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 9th May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Municipal Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is now home to the painting ‘Stag’s Head’ by the artist Diego Velázquez. The Autonomous Organization of Culture (OAC) has taken charge of receiving and safeguarding this masterpiece, which will be open to the public at the capital’s museum from Tuesday, 14th May, until 9th June. This artwork is part of the initiative “The Art That Connects” promoted by the Prado Museum and Telefónica, which aims to share the works of renowned artists such as Rubens, El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán, Murillo, and Goya with all autonomous communities and cities.
As part of this project, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the only city in the Canary Islands selected to host some of the paintings included. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez appreciates this choice, stating that “Santa Cruz is honoured to be the sole city in the Canary Islands chosen by the Prado Museum to exhibit a painting by one of the most significant painters in Spanish art history.”
The Culture Councillor, Santiago Díaz Mejías, sees this as “a unique chance for the locals to appreciate a Velázquez masterpiece” and mentions, “it will also be a great opportunity to explore our Museum of Fine Arts and its permanent collection.”
Last Tuesday, the Museum of Fine Arts received the painting from the national art gallery, with strict security measures in place. The artwork is being closely monitored by Prado staff, who have confirmed that the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Cruz de Tenerife provides the perfect environment in terms of humidity, temperature, and lighting for displaying this painting by the esteemed artist.
The official inauguration of “The Art That Connects” will take place on Monday, 13th May, with the painting “Stag’s Head” taking centre stage. The OAC has curated a temporary exhibition titled “Beasts and Animals” around this masterpiece, focusing on Velázquez’s work. Subsequently, from 14th May, the public can visit this painting continuously from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., exhibited in Room II on the second floor of the capital’s museum.
‘The Art That Connects’ is a collaborative endeavour between the National Prado Museum and Telefónica, commemorating the company’s centenary and promoting a sense of togetherness through culture. This initiative enables museums across Spain to exhibit temporarily some of the masterpieces of Spanish art. Works by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, Murillo, and other great masters from the Prado Museum will be showcased in 18 locations throughout Spain.
This project follows in the footsteps of the Prado Museum’s 2019 Bicentennial celebration with ‘On Tour through Spain’ and will lead the institution to have a direct presence in nearly forty cities nationwide. This is in addition to loans, temporary travelling exhibitions, and ‘El Prado in the Streets’, a project showcasing photographic replicas of the museum’s collection in public spaces, currently touring Andalusian cities and having previously visited Castilla y León, Castilla la Mancha, and Extremadura.
Miguel Falomir, the director of the National Prado Museum, states, “This initiative, supported by Telefónica, embodies our national identity; being a cultural treasure for all Spaniards, inviting them to Madrid but also reaching out to them in their local surroundings.”
Emilio Gayo, the president of Telefónica Spain, expresses, “We are thrilled to join the Prado Museum in celebrating this special year, our Centenary. We are particularly proud to have played a part in your digital transformation and, now, in promoting this cultural project. Telefónica is committed to making our world more connected and, through this initiative, we aim to unite people across Spain through a shared artistic heritage that binds us all and places us on a global stage.”
