La CV MARQ Foundation and the Royal Order of the Lady of Elche inaugurated this midday "The Travelling Lady", an exhibition that has the support of the Culture Department of the Alicante Provincial Council and which can be visited from this afternoon onwards in the Archaeological and History Museum of Elche (MAHE).
The Vice-President and Member of Parliament for Culture, Julia ParraWith this new collaboration we wanted to participate in the programme of events organised for the 125th Anniversary of the Finding of the Lady of Elche with a unique selection of images that tell the true story of the journey undertaken more than a century ago by this valuable Iberian sculpture, so closely linked to Elche and the province of Alicante," he said.
In this exhibition, the spectator will be able to discover through old photographs the journeys made by the Dama de Elche from its discovery, its sale and subsequent arrival at the Louvre Museum in France, its numerous transfers to avoid being destroyed during the Second World War, until its definitive return to the Prado Museum along with other Iberian and Visigothic pieces. Also included are the transfers within Spain, including the one from the Prado to the National Archaeological Museum. The compilation of this succession of sometimes unknown displacementsThe exhibition is a unique exhibition.
The proposal started to be prepared following the signature of an agreement between the CV MARQ Foundation and the Royal Order of the Dama signed by the vice-president Julia Parra, on behalf of the Alicante museum, and Mª Carmen Pérez Cascalesby the Royal Order. By virtue of this agreement, which commemorates the 125th anniversary of the Finding of the Lady of Elche, both entities expressed their support and interest in extolling the importance of a celebration that would highlight both the city of Elche, its cultural and archaeological heritage, and the province of Alicante as a reference point for Iberian culture and art.
After six months of work, 'The Travelling Lady' will be available to the public in the temporary exhibition hall of the MAHE until 30 April 2023. An opportunity to get to know a part of the history of the Lady of Elche necessary to understand in depth the importance of the Iberian bust. The exhibition is curated by Francisco Vives BoixDirector of the Chair of the Dama de Elche at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, and with the collaboration of the art historian, Estefanía Soler Selmaproject coordinator.
