Seville, 18th February 2008.- The temporary exhibition of the painting Saint Rufina by Velázquez, which officially opened the activities of the Diego Velázquez Research Centre, will close its doors on Thursday, 28th February. To date, thousands of visitors have flocked to the Hospital de los Venerables, headquarters of the Focus-Abengoa Foundation, to admire and gaze upon Velázquez’s work up close.

This exhibition, painstakingly designed by Juan García de Cubas, architect and museologist, favours an intimate, close-up interaction between the visitor and the work, and it seeks to direct all eyes towards a single painting: Saint Rufina. In short, it is a unique opportunity to enjoy the grandeur of this masterpiece by Velázquez without any spatial interference.

Entry to the centre is free-of-charge for natural citizens or residents of Seville and its province. All visitors have to do is show an official ID and they are given a special pass to enter the exhibition. The schedule is the same as the usual hours of the Hospital de los Venerables: every day from 10 am to 2 pm, and from 4 to 8 pm.

Once the temporary exhibition has closed, Saint Rufina will be exhibited alongside The Imposition of the Chasuble on Saint Ildefonso, A Sibyl and The Infanta Maria of Austria, Queen of Hungary, the latter two on loan from the Museo del Prado. The new display, entitled About Saint Rufina. Velázquez from the Intimate to the Courtly, will dovetail with the first international symposium that will feature participation by prominent specialists in Velázquez’s oeuvre.

The avenues of action in the centre’s cultural, artistic and scientific projects are backed by expert advisors Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez, honorary director of the Museo del Prado, and Benito Navarrete, professor at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.