Spain Pays €130,000 for Restoration of V&A Predella
March 12 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Spanish press have criticised the country's Heritage and Culture ministry for spending €130,000 on the restoration and care of a fifteenth century predella owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The predella of the Centenar de la Ploma altarpiece was restored by the Valencian Institute of Conservation and Restoration (IVC + r) for a three month exhibition held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia in 2020. The Spanish press have asked why Spanish money was used to fund the restoration of a British owned work of art. The museum also footed the bill for the artwork's insurance and travel expenses, which is usually the case for museums and galleries hosting loans for an exhibition.
The cultural ministry has refuted the claims that the expense was a waste of money. Critics have claimed the money could have been better spent on restoring works in their own national museums.
