Launch year:
1785

Number of artworks:
3.215

Status of collection:
National

Artistic domain:

The Banco de España’s attitude to collecting art throughout its history has been a kind of precursor of today’s institutional social responsibility, a way of returning part of the institution’s profits to society while constantly supporting the art and artists of each historical moment. For nearly 240 years, this activity has given the institution what is now one of the most important corporate collections in the country, and one of the finest among the central banks in our theatre of operations. A truly miscellaneous collection which includes paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs, together with a considerable number of special value pieces of decorative art and engravings.

The collection, dedicated to supporting art as a reflection of the bank’s sense of public responsibility, bears testimony to the institution’s entire history, since the Banco de San Carlos was founded in the late 18th century through to the present day. Chronologically, the collection is composed of a classical section, which includes works of art from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 19th century, and a contemporary section made up of Spanish art produced from the mid-20th century to the present day. The pieces acquired in the first two decades of the 21st century have a clear international character, mainly focused on European and Latin American art.