The author recounts a visit to the Prado in Madrid, where his attempt to photograph a portrait by Alonso Sánchez Coello was blocked by a guard enforcing a strict no-photography policy. This experience leads him to reflect on the evolution of museum mementos, from postcards—which he used to buy and even had his children select as a curatorial exercise—to the role of social media in sharing art. He recalls his time as curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, where postcard sales were a key revenue and popularity gauge, and notes that Instagram now serves as a virtual window into exhibitions and art fairs like Art Basel Miami.
This article matters because it highlights a persistent tension between museums' desire to control the visitor experience and the modern expectation of sharing art digitally. The author argues that banning photography stifles free promotion of institutions and artworks, while shifting guards' focus from protecting art to policing cameras. It also underscores how technology has transformed the way audiences engage with art, from physical postcards to virtual scrolling, and questions whether restrictive policies are outdated in an era of social media and global connectivity.