Sketch of the Roman courtyard at the National Archaeological Museum

This watercolour, signed by Luis Moya in July 1942, shows the space known as the Roman courtyard at the National Archaeological Museum, a small, landscaped area with a fountain in the middle, Roman sculptures and a gallery on the upper storey, protected by a glass roof.
In its more than 100 years of history, the museum has been remodelled several times to improve and adapt it to changing needs, and particularly to address its chronic lack of space. The museum archives contain a large number of drawings and plans that help us to trace the architectural evolution of the building since the 19th century.
The building’s original courtyards were replaced by new ones, designed by the museum’s architect-conservator Luis Moya, in the 1940s and 50s, and work on the Roman courtyard began in 1944. These spaces were transformed again under director Martín Almagro, who had remodelling work done in the 1970s and 80s, and during the latest renovations prior to the building’s reopening in 2014.