HE Cultural Institute of Alicante Juan Gil-Albert launches a new cycle centered on the collector as a guardian of the province’s ancestral heritage. The inaugural session begins this Friday with a lecture on Collecting in Spain in the 19th century, delivered by Pedro Jose Martinez Square, a respected 19th century conservator of the Prado Museum’s paintings.
Collectibles and collectors are highlighted for their pivotal role in preserving Alicante’s exceptional heritage. Public and private collectors have safeguarded art and cultural patrimony, often turning valuable works into public treasures through donations to institutions and foundations, thereby bringing portions of our history to light for future generations.
The first session, accompanied by the conference, will be held at Casa Bardín at 20:00. Collecting and the market in Spain in the 19th century will be explored by Historian Martínez Plaza, a recognized authority in this field. He will illuminate the key drivers of this era, examining the various agents involved in the art market of the time, from private owners to galleries and shops dedicated to selling works of art.
Pedro José Martínez Plaza holds a PhD in Art History and a Master in Advanced Studies in Art History from Complutense University in Madrid, and a Master’s from the University of Alcalá de Henares. He has served as contract staff in the Documentation Department at the National Museum of Decorative Arts and has been a museum technician at the Prado Museum since 2016. He has curated exhibitions such as El Gabinete de Descanso de Sus Majestades (2019) and The Legacy of Carmen Sánchez at the Prado, along with the lecture series The Last Lesson in 2021. His research focuses on publishing letter collections, Spanish painting, visual culture and collecting, and the art market. This work formed the basis of his doctoral dissertation and has been carried forward in studies published by the Centro de Estudios Europa Hispánica in 2018. He is also involved in a political research project exploring noble legitimacy in collecting between the Spanish nobility and the bourgeoisie from 1788 to 1931, highlighting the social dimensions of taste and ownership across centuries.
Notes on the session emphasize the enduring value of collecting as a cultural practice that shapes public access to art and historical memory. The discussions will trace how collectors have influenced acquisitions, institutional holdings, and the broader appreciation of Spain’s 19th-century art scene, offering a lens into how collections evolve from private interests into shared national heritage. This program underscores the importance of scholars, curators, and collectors in safeguarding heritage for Canadians and Americans seeking to understand the European art market and its historical dynamics.