Forget the Doomsday Clock, if you want to know how close society is to breakdown keep your eyes peeled for the works of Francisco Goya.
That is according to Miguel Falomir, the director of Madrid's Prado Museum, who sat down yesterday with his counterpart at the Reina Sofia, Manuel Segade, for a rare public discussion about the state of the two Spanish institutions.
Falomir told the audience in the Spanish capital he judges the state of the world by the loan requests he receives, adding: "When things are going well, they ask for more Velazquez pieces; when they're not, Goyas. Since 2008, we've been living in a Goyaesque period."
The two men, who admit they regularly compare notes, said their predecessors had not always been so friendly but said they found common ground on many issues including a lack of funding for the arts.
Comparing the situation to European soccer's top competition, Falomir said: "We compete in the Champions League of museums with budgets from the second division. It’s incredible how far a euro goes in this country."