National Museum of Art Reproduction

The National Museum of Artistic Reproductions, founded in 1877 on the initiative of the Spanish government, represents an important institution for the dissemination and artistic education in Spain. Its birth took place in the context of the Monarchic Restoration, under the guidance of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, and its mission was clear: to make art accessible to everyone through the exhibition of faithful reproductions of famous works from different eras and cultures. Initially housed in the Casón del Buen Retiro in Madrid, the museum opened its doors in 1881 with a collection of 156 classical reproductions. The direction was entrusted to Juan Facundo Riaño, a fervent supporter of the dissemination and conservation of the Spanish historical-artistic heritage. Riaño firmly believed that monuments and artistic objects should be kept in their original context to preserve their historical and cultural value. Over time, the museum acquired an impressive collection of over 3,000 works, including sculptures from ancient Egypt, Greek and Roman artifacts, and numerous medieval and Renaissance pieces. These reproductions were not simple copies, but works of art made with such precision as to be identical to the originals. This approach allowed the public to enjoy and study masterpieces otherwise inaccessible, located in museums and private collections scattered around the world. However, the history of the museum has not been without difficulties. In 1961, on the occasion of a major exhibition dedicated to Velázquez, the collection was transferred from the Casón del Buen Retiro to the Museum of America. From that moment, the museum began a long period of instability, moving between different locations for over fifty years. During this period, a significant part of the collection was stored in the warehouses of the Museo del Traje, risking being forgotten. An important turning point occurred in 2011, when a royal decree officially transferred the collections of the National Museum of Artistic Reproductions to the National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid. The new headquarters, located in the Casa del Sol within the architectural complex formed by the Colegio de San Gregorio and the Palacio de Villena, finally offered a stable and adequate home for these works, allowing for their better preservation and enhancement.