The MUN unveils for the first time the complete works of Charles Clifford, the British photographer who showed monumental Spain to the world.

The MUN pays tribute to British photographer Charles Clifford (1819-1863), a key figure in understanding the image of Spain in the mid-19th century: he was a pioneer in using photography as a means of promoting our country internationally. This afternoon at 7 p.m., a masterclass will be held at the MUN Theater with the curators of the exhibition, Javier Piñar and Carlos Sánchez. Admission is free, with invitations available at the box office or on the website. This will be followed by the opening of the exhibition rooms to the public. 

The exhibition is entitled Charles Clifford and the Monumental Record of Spain and will be open until February 8. It occupies four rooms in the museum, covering nearly 2,000 linear meters of exhibition space and showing visitors around 300 pieces on the walls and around 200 in audiovisual projections. "You only have to see Clifford's work to know that we are looking at the best photographer in 19th-century Spain," says Piñar.

The British photographer belongs to the generation of early photography professionals who used calotype as a tool for research and for projecting new themes and forms of expression. His work focuses on Spain's monumental heritage, produced between 1852 and 1862, as can be seen in his Álbum Monumental de España (Monumental Album of Spain), the project that is the focus of this exhibition: with the Torre del Oro in Seville, Burgos Cathedral, the aqueduct in Segovia, the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Viceroy's Palace (Barcelona) and the Patio la Infanta (Zaragoza), among others. His work was "chaotic, unplanned, where artistic creation coexisted with the need to make a living from his craft and fulfill commissions from royalty and the nobility," explains Piñar, "which is why the cities are mixed together in the exhibition."

But visitors will not only find historical evidence of Spain, but also a journey through photographic technique itself, thanks to Clifford's evolution: the British photographer revisited certain places to repeat his images, thereby correcting and improving his technique. This is "Clifford's journey and, with it, the journey of photography in our country," summarizes Valentín Vallhonrat, assistant director of the University of Navarra Museum. We are facing "a unique opportunity to see Clifford's work together. A project like this has never been seen before," he says.

Clifford "is the father of photography in Spain," Vallhonrat continues. "When we began building the MUN Collection, Rafael Levenfeld [with whom he shared artistic direction and who passed away in 2024] and I wanted to review the history of photography in our country. Now we have created the Clifford exhibition that we wanted to have programmed 25 years ago," he explains.

This has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of various institutions and individuals: the works on display are part of the collection of curator Carlos Sánchez, which is associated with the MUN Collection, as well as pieces from the Museum itself; as well as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, the Archive of the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, the Library of Andalusia, the Library of the University of Navarra, the Fernández Rivero collection in Malaga, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Granada.

Architect Carlos Sánchez, who describes himself as a "compulsive collector," has been involved with Clifford's work for decades. An expert on the Alhambra and Nasrid architecture, he recognized the value of his works from the moment he first laid eyes on them.

In short, Valentín Vallhonrat concludes, Clifford pursued his profession at a time when it did not exist: "He paved the way for other photographers to follow."

Throughout 2025, and to mark its tenth anniversary, admission to the MUN exhibitions is free thanks to an agreement with Pamplona City Council. This exhibition also has the support of the Government of Navarre and the Navarre Museums network.