The local consideration of this episode is given by its origin and, who knows when, by its end, because nothing that is recounted here happened in Seville, with the exception of the flight which gave rise to the round trip of the ‘Immaculate’ … of the Venerables that Murillo painted for the asylum of priests. In two centuries of travel, the canvas has only found its original location between October 2012 and January 2013 for an exhibition.
The painting was offered by General Pétain to Franco as an advance for a exchange of works of art between the two countries, aligned with the Nazi Germany. The Franco regime saw a golden opportunity to achieve the diplomatic success of the return of the Immaculate of the Venerables on the eve of the solemnity.
And this almost went unnoticed according to the note from the Logos agency in Girona dated December 6, 1940: “Around two thirty in the afternoon, the marvelous painting of the Immaculate Conception, a major work by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, was expected at the border with France, which had been in the Parisian Louvre museum since its sale by the relatives of Marshal Soult upon his death, who took possession of the imponderable canvas. during the Spanish War of Independence. In the middle of the afternoon, the official news was announced that the arrival of the precious artistic gem had been delayed by 24 hours due to the interception of a bridge in Eine (France), a short distance from the border. Therefore, this work of national artistic treasure will only arrive tomorrow, around three o’clock in the afternoon.
In fact, the next day, the eve of the religious solemnity, the truck crossed the border and on the 8th, the train carrying it entered the Mediodía station in Madrid. He delivered the painting René Huyghécurator of the Louvre, in the presence of the French ambassador, François Pietriwhile the Marquis de Lozoya, Director General of Fine Arts, received it from Spain.
Offer on Murillo
The Louvre bought the painting from Soult’s heirs for the record sum of 615,300 gold francs in 1852.
The versatile Juan Lafita revealed in 1967 a dialogue with the man who was then French ambassador to Spain, after the civil war, by visiting the Archaeological Museum of Seville of which he was director. By drawing his attention to a painting by Murillo, the hero of Verdun makes the following remark: “Yes, but that of the Immaculate Conception was taken by Marshal Soult for that of the Louvre. Lafita took advantage of the opportunity: “Certainly, we would very much like that one day this painting returns to Spain for the Hospital de los Venerables.” “Well, it’s quite possible that I’ll give it back to you,” Pétain replied.
He came back, yes, but not to Seville. A few days after its arrival in Madrid, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Brotherhood of Venerable Priests requested the painting from the Prado without obtaining its return. Until today. It would be very commendable commitment to the Cathedral Chapter, who will exhibit his remarkable pictorial collection at Los Venerables.
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