Seeing and understanding art through the eyes of the Prado Museum

Throughout its ten editions, the lecture series Calvo Serrallerlecture series , organized by the School Philosophy Letters in partnership the Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation, has established itself as a reference letter knowledge dissemination on art history. Thirty-two speakers, 43 lectures, and more than 2,700 attendees have found in this annual program an opportunity to learn about some of the most important works, creators, and periods of artistic and cultural heritage.

The cycle has been characterized by its variety of content, combining lectures dedicated to great masters such as Velázquez (2021) and Rubens (2023) with global approaches to periods such as the Renaissance of the 16th century (2022), the late average 2024), and the Baroque, the thematic focus of the current edition. It has also explored unique themes, from fantastic art (2019) to passions in art (2025). This diversity is complemented by amultidisciplinary approach , where painting coexists with architecture, sculpture, engraving, cinema, photography, music, design fashion, and in which the works are analyzed from formal, iconographic, and technical perspectives, as well as those related to conservation and the role of the promoter.

In this context, Javier Azanza, Full Professor Art History in department History, Art History, and Geography, and one of the people responsible for shaping this project, talks about the essence and evolution of the cycle, its educational vocation, and the value of this initiative, which, year after year, broadens horizons and enriches the training of its audience.

 
Francisco Calvo Serraller, director the series until his death in 2018, after whom this initiative is named.

How did the Prado Museum Cycle come about?

The Prado Museum cycle arose as result the relationship between the School Philosophy Letters of the University of Navarra and the Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation, through student internships and activities developed by professors in area Art History. In addition, the fact that campus has its own museum on campus , the MUN, which opened in 2015, facilitated the arrival of the series in Pamplona, which had already been held in other cities such as La Coruña, Bilbao, and Barcelona, as well as Madrid. The sponsorship, since the first edition, of the business VISCOFAN, and the partnership the Diario de Navarra Foundation and the MUN itself, were also fundamental. Thanks to the joint efforts, it was possible to bring the cycle to Pamplona, which already had a precedent in the city, as the Museum of Navarre had hosted some editions of it years ago.

What was the goal when the cycle began?

The goal the cycle was to bring the Prado Museum closer to Pamplona, so that both university students and city residents could discover the secrets of its collections with the help of leading specialists. final, the aim was to build bridges with the Madrid art gallery and generate public interest in visiting the museum to enjoy its works in person.

This goal maintained throughout the ten editions, first with Francisco Calvo Serraller as director cycle, and after his death in November 2018, with Alberto Pancorbo as manager department Foundation's department , always with the unconditional support of Nuria de Miguel, administrative assistant of the Foundation.

As an event held in a university setting, how professor this activity helped students to deepen their understanding of the content?

I remember that, in his first editions here in Pamplona, Francisco Calvo Serraller, as a university professor, insisted above all on reaching out to students. Young people were the focus of his interest, and he wanted to organize more activities around the cycle so that they could learn about the richness of art in general and the Prado in particular.

In this regard, the cycles have addressed content from the Art History courses taught at the University, featuring artists such as Van Der Weyden, Giotto, Botticelli, Juan de Flandes, Raphael, Correggio, El Greco, Ribera, Bernini, Rubens, Georges de la Tour, Velázquez, Goya, and Picasso, to name just a few. It has been a real privilege to learn about all of them under the guidance of leading experts.

The response from students has been very positive from the outset. They have enrolled in large issue the sessions of the cycle, and they are also very active in the question and answer sessions. Even after the lecture has ended, lecture approach the speaker greet him and ask questions. This interest, combined with Professor Calvo Serraller's desire to instill the spirit of the Prado Museum in the university, has also led to the creation of a subject , whose content focuses exclusively on the museum: Seeing and Understanding Art Through the Eyes of the Prado, which is part of Core Curriculum

In addition, we continue to organize our curricular trips to the Prado Museum, at least two per academic year, where students explain the works of art as they stand in front of them.

 
Image from the second edition of this series, which has been held in Pamplona since 2016.

Could you tell me about the milestones or main events of the Cycle over these 10 editions? Or also who has given the lectures.

Each of the conferences in the ten cycles held so far in Pamplona has been a real treat due to the interest they have all generated, so it would be difficult to choose a single highlight.

Over the ten editions of the series, we have had a total of 43 lectures (including the four this year, 2026), given by 32 experts, as some of them have repeated on two or even three occasions, such as Manuela Mena and Fernando Marías. It is worth noting that among the speakers is Miguel Falomir, who gave the lecture paintings. From the Royal Collection to the Prado Museum" on November 26, 2016, shortly before being appointed director Museum in March 2017 and when he was possibly already among the candidates to replace Miguel Zugaza at the helm of the art gallery.

And since I have mentioned the speakers, I think it is only fair to highlight the extraordinary level of their presentations and the professionalism of all of them, demonstrating that academic rigor is not incompatible with the knowledge dissemination knowledge. And, along with this, their human qualities, reflected in their approachability and kindness towards the audience, something that the attendees have appreciated and valued. I believe that this combination of scientific and human qualities in the speakers is undoubtedly one of the keys to the success of the series.

How has the cycle evolved over the past 10 years?

To contemplate the evolution of the cycle in Pamplona over these ten years, we must remember that it is an abbreviated format of the complete cycle that the Prado Museum has hosted between October and March since 1989, and which consists of approximately twenty lectures. The Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation decides topic the topic each edition and, depending on the availability the speakers and their commitments to other venues, chooses the four lectures that will make up the Pamplona cycle.

In our case, there was a fundamental change between the first and second editions of the cycle. The first, dedicated to the historical milestones of the Prado's collections, consisted of seven sessions held from October 19 to November 30, 2016. However, for organizational and scheduling reasons, the second edition, dedicated to the age of geniuses (16th century), was presented in its current format and schedule, with four sessions held from January 9 to 30, 2018. The move to the first weeks of the year was a great success and significantly increased the issue registrations, so it was decided to maintain the formula in view of the good results.

And if I referred earlier to the professional and human qualities of the speakers as one of the keys to the success of the series, another key factor is undoubtedly the loyalty of the audience, demonstrated by the high issue registrations for all editions of the series, which is close to 3,000 attendees, and by the interest shown in each session through their questions and comments. I would therefore like to express the gratitude of the Friends of the Prado Museum Foundation and the School Philosophy Letters to all those who come to the Museum each year to enjoy art with a capital A.

 
Despite the COVID pandemic, the cycle has been held annually without interruption.

What are the main contents of this new edition?

This year's edition is degree scrollIllusion and Persuasion: The Art of the Baroque, degree scroll and sample interest as it will take us into a complex artistic period, due to its integrative nature in search of the total work of art with which to persuade and move the viewer. We will be able to see this in the sessions of the cycle, in which we will approach manifestations of Baroque architecture, sculpture, and painting. Thus, Eduardo Prieto González, professor at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid, will introduce us to Baroque architecture, which moves between geometry and passion. Leticia Azcue Brea, Head of the Collection of Sculpture since 1700 and Decorative Arts at the Prado Museum, will confront us with the sculptural force of Bernini. Xavier Bray, director The Wallace Collection in London, will immerse us in the tenebrism of José de Ribera. And Fernando Marías, Full Professor Art History at the Autonomous University of Madrid, will reveal some of the inventions, figurative whims, and visual games hidden in Velázquez's portraits. Without a doubt, this proposal excellent proposal celebrate the X of the series in Pamplona, so I encourage our readers to attend.

Any projections for the cycle in the future?

Looking ahead, we have one wish: that the Francisco Calvo Serraller cycle, which was launched with such enthusiasm a decade ago, will continue to be present in our city and our University for many years to come, consolidating itself, if it has not already done so, as a benchmark in Pamplona's cultural offering. This will undoubtedly be the result of the involvement and interest of all those involved: organizers, sponsors, collaborators, speakers, and the public. Hopefully, we will be able to see this happen and celebrate the 20th anniversary with the same enthusiasm.

 
Since its inception, the cycle has been sponsorship VISCOFAN and partnership the Diario de Navarra Foundation.