Hello,

Last summer I visited the Prado Museum and took some photos there. There was no problem at all taking photos of the paintings there as long as you had the flash turned off (Some Japanese tourist even shot with flash on!!!).

Today I visited the Prado again. I wanted to see Goya's "Fusilamientos del 3 de Mayo" that had been temporarily at the Reina Sofia Museum. To my surprise today visitors were not allowed to take any photos even with the flash off.
Does anybody know why? Perhaps they got tired of some tourists using flash so they decided to disallow photographing all together?

Anybody has taken photos at the Prado?

Estopa1

I really hope you are wrong about this. I visited the Prado three times in 2005. Took over 500 photos, including the 3 of May painting. I took more photos than that but they were not keepers.

It will be sad day in Madrid if this is true, because it will join the Reina Sofa and Thyssen-Bornemisza with photograph off-limits policy.

MadridMan I hope follow up with this.

Bill

Unfortunately, I think this is the case.
Today, when I entered the museum from the lower Goya entrance they guys at the entrance did not tell me anything about photographs (and they saw my camera). There were no signs about it either.

However very soon I noticed that nobody there was wearing cameras and taking photos, and I thought that was odd since only 6 months ago everybody was taking photograhps all over at will with no problems. So, I went and asked: "Se pueden hacer fotos sin flash?" (Can we make photos with no flash), and the answer was: "No, no photos can be taken". In fact nobody in the entire museum was taking photos today.

Estopa1, I had a similar/same experience just LAST Sunday (it was FREE to enter!) at the Prado Museum. Someone next to me was told the exact same thing: NO PHOTOS - WITH FLASH OR WITHOUT. I didn't ask the woman attendant why, though. I doubt she knew, only enforcing the rules. Too bad.

Saludos, MadridMan

Yeah, too bad.
I can understand the use of flash could deteriorate the paintings, but I can not understand what is wrong in taking photos with no flash. Something must have happened for them to do this and change the rules. It sucks.

Well then I glad I made those two visits to the Prado in 2005. I spent many hours in the Prado shooting my photos. My first visit I spent 5-6 hours in the museum. Those photos are now last photos of the Prado.

For me, it is one less thing to do when visiting Madrid and I not happy about this. :yuck:

Bill

I think it's a good thing. To me, art is best when viewed by the human eye, not through a camera. I find it somewhat annoying and distracting to be surrounded by people clicking away in museums and posturing to get a good "shot". And there is ALWAYS some clown who lets his/her flash go off by mistake. I'd rather preserve these great works for future generations than take this sort of chance. I'm glad the Prado finally cracked down on this.

I was thinking, maybe they did this in order to get more visitors? How do you guys thing the "new photo rule" would affect the number of visits the Prado gets? Will this increase or decrease attendance?

most museum wont let you take photos if not all. something to do with the paintings losing color or something like that.
anyway why take photo of a photo? my humble opinion of course.
The Prado was a bit late. I think was there 2 times once in 1972 and then in 1990 both times with girlfriends;one now my wife.

It could have been to increase sales in the gift shop for the postcards and museum books people will want to buy, since they cannot take a photo to remember their visit. It could be that the Prado wants exclusive copywrite of the painting in the Prado and not happy seeing photographs on the internet.

But the new rule is will not increase or decrease attendance, it just to make it a pain for the average person who will make a once in a lifetime visit and cannot have a snapshot.

Lets not hope Paris's Lovue, Orsay and Rome's top art museums do not follow this stupid rule. There is still Sevilla's Bellas Arts to photograph great Spanish painting and also in the cathedral too!

Bill