Los ojos del Prado

The Prado Museum has been a silent witness to the last two hundred years of Spanish history—from its founding by Ferdinand VII and his ill-fated wife, Maria Isabel of Braganza, during one of the nation’s most turbulent eras, to the harrowing evacuation of its paintings during the bombings of the Civil War, the arrival of the Transition to democracy, and the March 11 terrorist attacks. It has observed the dedicated efforts of artists, jesters, copyists, and gallery attendants, as well as the desires and secrets of the visitors who have come to contemplate its masterpieces. Goya, Velázquez, Picasso, Alberti, María Teresa León, Borges, Ángeles Santos, and even Charlton Heston—all these figures and many others have walked before its gaze. It is the stories held within its walls that have transformed the museum into a protagonist in its own right. Drawing on notes taken while working as a gallery attendant—and seeking out the most obscure tales capable of inspiring a love for the art—Alejandro Molina Bravo has given the Prado Museum a unique voice. He has turned it into the compelling narrator of a multi-layered, ensemble-style novel that blends historical fact with magical realism. Spanning two centuries, the narrative weaves together the lives of some twenty real and fictional characters, all of whose destinies are linked by art. It is a tribute to the Prado Museum and to everything that has made it a reflection of a nation’s identity—a vessel for its collective memory.