Christine Seidel (Member of CODART since 2024) has been appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Museo Nacional del Prado as the museum’s new Head of Flemish Painting and the Northern Schools, a position within the Deputy Directorate for Conservation and Research. She succeeds Alejandro Vergara (Member of CODART since 1999), who will become Head of Academic Content at Canal Prado, the museum’s audiovisual platform.

Christine Seidel

Christine Seidel holds a PhD in art history from the Freie Universität Berlin and has focused her research on Northern European art of the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. Throughout her career, she has held fellowships in the European Paintings Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and in the painting and sculpture collections of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

Before joining the Prado, she served as Associate Curator of Renaissance Painting at the National Gallery in London. Previously, she was Curator of Paintings before 1800 at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, where she developed research and curatorial projects related to European painting of the early modern period.

Christine Seidel’s relationship with the Museo Nacional del Prado began in 2018, when she was awarded a fellowship from the María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation. During her fellowship, she researched the work of Marinus van Reymerswaele, with a particular focus on the five paintings by the artist in the museum’s collection. This research contributed to the preparation of Marinus: Painter of Reymerswaele, an exhibition curated by Seidel and held at the Prado in 2021.

Her research interests include Flemish, Netherlandish, and German painting of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, the artistic culture of the Low Countries, workshop practices, collecting, and the international circulation of artists and works of art.

Her appointment coincides with preparations for the museum’s upcoming exhibition devoted to Hans Baldung Grien, on view from 24 November 2026 through 7 March 2027.

Alejandro Vergara

In his new role, Alejandro Vergara will define the academic direction and thematic focus of Pensar el Prado, a program devoted to topics related to the museum’s collections, the periods in which they were created, and broader issues concerning artistic creation, its study, and its dissemination.

The episodes, which run between 30 and 60 minutes, are primarily structured around conversations with leading specialists.

Combining academic rigor with an accessible approach, Pensar el Prado offers content designed to remain relevant and engaging over time. Drawing on the museum’s collections, the program explores broader questions concerning the history and theory of art, its interpretation, and different approaches to artistic creation.

The position of Head of Academic Content also includes advising the Communications Department on matters related to art history, as well as overseeing the academic content produced in this area. This work builds on Vergara’s experience as a curator, researcher, and educator, as well as his expertise in communicating specialized knowledge to diverse audiences.

Pensar el Prado launched Canal Prado’s programming in March 2026. The platform brings together, organizes, and provides access to the museum’s audiovisual productions, including thematic series, interviews, lectures, and other educational content.