Art historians accuse Christian Galvez of professional intrusion

The Spanish Committee of Art History (CEHA), the main Spanish association of art historians, has been accused by the presenter Christian Gálvez “ professional intrusion ” for his role as the curator of the exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: the faces of genius, inaugurated few days ago in Madrid.

In a statement posted on his website, the board of CEHA criticized the presenter that, “by relying on the popularity of television and in their knowledge of the figure of Leonardo translated in works of fiction with sometimes dubious basis of historical-documentary”, has been positioned as a “leader sociological without any endorsement of a scientific character”.

The Spanish Committee of Art History complaint “seems to be more important to the popularity that the preparation”

The association emphasizes that “the important training and professional qualification of the graduates, graduates and doctors in History of Art, that it is necessary to recognize and defend at a time from the media seems to be more important to the popularity that the preparation”.

on the other hand, they report that, in complicity with various foundations, companies and institutions-among them the National Library - and “its logical business interests and image”, has designed “an image of large exposure, which does not correspond with reality”.

The statement, dated last Thursday, responding to a complaint raised by professor Benito Navarrete on November 22, and “to the samples of concern transmitted by the other partners on the same topic”.

The exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: the faces of the genius, organized with a view to the commemoration in 2019 of the fifth centenary of the death of the artist, opened its doors to the public on the 29th of November with a double seat, the Palace of the Jewels and the National Library , where you can see the only two texts of Leonardo that are preserved in Spain.

The exhibition opened its doors to the public on the 29th of November with a double seat, the Palace of the Jewels and the National Library

The board of the CEHA, which has visited the show before making public its decision, indicates that the party of which he is the intellectual author Gálvez, the Palace of the Jewels, it has an informative nature and that the only work of art that is on display is the Tavola Luke, whose authorship is disputed.

In terms of the Library, recognize the authority of Elisa Ruiz, professor of Palaeography and an expert in the work handwritten by the artist, but criticize that have been associated with Galvez that “has used all its power of the media to project an idea without depth scientific addressed to a general audience”.

“we have sought a few bad travel companions, which have diluted the work that has been done with all rigour in the National Library and they have turned this course cultural project, whose objective is to assess to Leonardo in its fifth centenary, in a fleeting fireworks”, indicates the communiqué.

The experts believe, finally, that “this is not the exposure that it should get as much activity in the year of Leonardo”, which will start in less than a month and for that other areas europeans have scheduled major exhibitions and activities of scientific character.