The Banco de España is to extend until the end of April its la exhibition on the origins of its art collection —the first show organised at its new, permanent gallery on Plaza de Cibeles— in view of the large numbers of visitors it has drawn. Since its opening on 14 October last, the exhibition has attracted 33,000 people from all over Spain and further afield.

It is open from 11:00 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm from Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is free, but by advance booking only. To book, go to the website of the Banco de España Collection. The programme of guided tours is also to be extended, with groups every Wednesday at 6:00 pm and every Saturday at noon.

2328 reales de vellón. Goya and the Origins of the Banco de España Collection explains how the bank built up its collection from 1782 (when the Banco de San Carlos was founded) and in the early years under its current name of Banco de España (adopted in 1856 following the merger between the Banco de San Fernando and the Banco de Isabel II). It also reveals how close links with Goya in those early years influenced the subsequent evolution of the collection.

_{View of the gallery with the exhibition 2328 reales de vellón. Photos by Fernando Maquieira}

In all, almost 150 works are on show. Forty of them, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and miscellaneous items of decorative art, are from the core classical collection of the Banco de España. There are also three works on loan from outside sources (one from the Museo del Prado, one from the National Museum of Engraving and one from a private collection), plus numerous documents from the Historical Archives and the Library of the Banco de España.

This is the first exhibition at the permanent gallery recently set up by the Banco de España in the Chaflán Hall at its headquarters on Plaza de Cibeles, in the area of Madrid known as the Paseo del Arte [“Art Walk”]. The gallery is to stage a number of temporary exhibitions in the years to come, aimed at bringing the valuable collection of art and documents built up by the bank over its long history to the public.

_{View of the gallery with the exhibition 2328 reales de vellón. Photos by Fernando Maquieira}

The great success of 2328 reales de vellón can be gauged by its visitor numbers and by how widely reported the exhibition has been in the media. To date it has drawn almost 30,000 people from all over Spain and further afield. Its media impact comprises almost 50 direct mentions of the opening of the gallery on Plaza de Cibeles and the staging of the exhibition. That figure represents over 80% of all the media references to the Banco de España Collection in the past year.

The exhibition catalogue can be downloaded free of charge from the publications section of our website.