With a selection of more than fifty works, including tapestries, paintings, sculptures, photos and clocks, the exhibition The Tyranny of Chronos explores the central position held by the theme of time in art. The show also provided the backdrop for the official presentation of the new portraits of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and the Banco de España's former governor, Pablo Hernández de Cos, produced on commission by the American artist Annie Leibovitz.

The two new works are the first photographs in the bank's portrait gallery; as such, they mark a new departure in a tradition dating back to the earliest days of the institution. Nonetheless, Leibovitz takes a similar approach to these commissions as her predecessors, respecting the artistic traditions of artists such as Goya, whose portraits of the Count of Floridablanca and Francisco de Cabarrús are also on display.

Curated by Yolanda Romero, chief conservator at the Banco de España, the exhibition includes more than twenty historical clocks owned by the bank, and a wide variety of artworks from its contemporary collection. Employing the language of art (and on occasions reflecting a more non-utilitarian, natural and earth-based cyclical vision of time that endures in certain non-Western cultural contexts, these pieces challenge and transgress the prevailing notion of time in capitalist societies.

Opened on 27 November 2024, The Tyranny of Chronos will finally close at the end of this week, more than two months after initially scheduled. Due to the great success of the show (with over 50,000 visitors to date, it is the most successful show ever staged at the exhibition space in the Banco de España's head offices on Plaza Cibeles) it was decided to extend its run to cater to the demand for tickets.

A catalogue has been published to go with the exhibition. As well as providing detailed information on all the exhibits, it includes a series of essays exploring some of the issues and problems raised in the exhibition. The catalogue and the exhibition brochure, together with the book Banco de España Collection of Timepieces. The Hours in Numbers Garbed, (the genesis of this exhibition project) can be downloaded free from the Publications sections of the website.

During this final week, the exhibition will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11 am to 8 pm (closing for lunch from 2 to 4 pm). On the last day of the show, Sunday, 1 June it will be open from 11 am to 2 pm. So, if you have not seen it yet, you still have a few days left... As it says in the video accompanying this news item, 'better late than never, though it's even better to arrive just on time'. We look forward to seeing you!