Exhibition of Masterpieces from the Prado, Generva Museum of Art and History, 1 June to end of August 1939

On June 1, 1939, the Generva Museum of Art and History inaugurated the most prestigious exhibition in its history, «Masterpieces from the Prado», which displayed works from Spanish museums and collections to the Swiss public. It was a success of unprecedented proprtions, attracting more than 350,000 visitors. 

That such an exceptional collection of art was in Geneva was the result of the fall of Catalonia to the Francoists in February 1939 and the measures taken by the International Commission for the Rescue of Spanish Art Treasures, which had been established the previous month in response to efforts by the Catalan artist José María Sert. Made up of the heads of the major museums of the democratic countries, this semi-private organization signed an agreement with the government of the Republic on February 3 to protect the art works by taking them out of the country and promising to return them when the war had ended. The determination of the Republican government to protect this artistic heritage had alread led them to move the art works from Madrid to valencia after November 1936 and then to Catalonia after March 1938. 

The 1,868 crates sent to Geneva on February 13 and 14 were initially stores in the library of the League of Nations so that an inventory could be drawn up and the official handover to the Francoist representative in Geneva be prepared. As part of this process, the Francoist authorities authorized the organization of an exhibition in Geneva prior to the works being returned to Spain. They also demanded that the content of the exhibition be « authentically Spanish ». This was  a way of affirming the legitimacy of the regime’s ideological project, as the first ,« imperial » gallery, with tapestries of the conquest of Tunis, evoking Spain’s historic role in the struggle against the « infidels », made clear. In addition, the Francoists were able to impose their political will, prohibiting the members of the former International Commission from attending the exhibition. The decision to erase the role of both the Republican government and the international experts reflected the desire of the Swiss and Geneva authorities to establish strong relations with the new regime. In this, they were following the example of the vice-president of the Confederation who, in his speech opening the exhibition, praised the Francoist regime’s « magnificent gift, an invaluable gift to European civilization… unique testimony to the mutual esteem between the two countries and friendship that unites them.». 

After the exhibition closed in late August, the Francoist government refused to use any of the profits to reimburse the members of the Commission for theur expense sthey had incurred or to respond to the request of International Committee of the Red Cross to contribute towards the costs of its humanitarian activities. Franco’s government kept the considerable sum of 350,000 Swiss francs. The works of art were returned to Spain, arriving at Madrid’s North Station on September 9, 1939.