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Loans for Cultural Heritage
Loan Requests for works of art belonging to the Prado Museum
Information for institutions
Loans to temporary exhibitions are the Museum’s most direct means of communication with society. They offer the opportunity of reinterpreting the collections while linking them to currentl issues. At the same time, they also provide an especially attractive scope for museography allowing for experimentation on new styles and technologies. They contribute to projecingt a new identity of the Museum by encouraging innovation, research and the public interest in its collections.
With this intention in mind, the Museo Nacional del Prado offers its visitors a wide exhibition program while contributing to the promotion of its collections through the loan of works from its collection to exhibition projects organised by other cultural institutions, both national and international.
Requests submission
By completing the following form:
Download formAnd sending it to the following email address of the Prado Museum:
Copying the Registrar Service at the following email address:
Conditions to be taken into account on the loan requests
Loan requests of Works belonging to the permanent collection of the Museo Nacional del Prado have to take into account the following criteria:
Submission deadlines for loan requests
- For national loans, requests must be received nine months in advance.
- For international Loans, requests must be received twelve months in advance.
- The duration of the loan will not exceed four months.
Qualifying criteria
- Scientific and cultural interest of the exhibition.
- Relevance of the requested works within the exhibition project.
- History of the organising institution.
- Technical conditions and human resources of the venue to ensure the conservation and the security of the works.
- Conservation of the works.
- Availability of the works.
- Relevance of the works in both the permanent collection of the Museo Nacional del Prado or in its depositary institutions.
- In case of itinerant exhibition in consecutive venues, each venue will be assessed individually based on the impact of the exhibition.
- The institution has a 3-year moratorium period established for the acceptance of certain loans, due to their prolonged absence on the permanent exhibition galleries or on the depository institutions, with the exception of the “enconchados” (shell-covered panels), which are loaned alternately, allowing a rest period of five years for each panel.
Quantitative criteria
The Museum has established a maximum of three works per loan when said works are exhibited in the permanent collection. A maximum loan of six works is established if the works requested are in storage and/or in storage and on display. In the event that the loan request exceeds five works, the Museo Nacional del Prado reserves the right to establish a collaboration agreement on the terms it deems appropriate.
Instructions for the loan requests on cultural heritage
Request Content
The loan request shall be addressed to the Director of the Prado National Museum and shall include the following information:
- Requesting institution/s.
- Organising institution/s.
- Title, dates and venue/s of the exhibition (organising institution, exhibit venue, city, country).
- Curator in charge of the exhibition.
- List of requested works, noting the Prado Museum catalogue number, title and author, and whether they are on long-term loan in other institutions.
- Scientific project of the exhibition and relevance of the works requested from the Prado Museum within the exhibition.
- Updated, signed and dated Facility Report of the exhibition venue/s.
- Contact details of the persons responsible for the request, curator and coordinator in charge of the exhibition.
Specific aspects for works deposited in other institutions
A significant number of works belonging to the Prado Museum collection are on long-term loan in other institutions (Prado Extendido).
If loan authorization is given to a long-term loan, any and all expenses shall be borne by the organiser either arising from the transfer of the work or works to the exhibition venue or their subsequent return. Likewise, the organiser shall bear any of the costs incurred should a restoration treatment be required at the Prado Museum’s Restoration Department. Also, if it is deemed necessary to send technical staff to supervise the handling and movement or when the loaned work must be replaced by another in the depository institution.
How are loan requests authorized?
The decision rests with the Permanent Committee of the Royal Board of Trustees of the Prado Museum. The committee convenes every two months (August and December excluded). Loanees should bear in mind that the agenda for each meeting is finalised 20 days before the meeting is to be held.
When favourable, organisers will receive a notification with the necessary directions on how to begin the loan process. Likewise, when applicable, they will be informed of the fees that the MNP applies to the loan.
If the decision is in the negative, a reasoned communication will be sent to organisers.