Today marks a pivotal moment for Mubag as it unveils a permanent collection that meets outstanding quality standards. The moment is equally notable for the Prado Museum, as highlighted in Alicante during the presentation of the exhibition titled 19th century. Collection in light, a new permanent display at the Gravina Museum of Fine Arts featuring 75 artifacts, 25 of which were deposited by the Prado.
The exhibition proposal introduces an Extended Grassland project, a path toward reassessing how the national art institutions relate to the wider state network. The center has thousands of pieces scattered across Spain, and the director notes that Alicante’s museum has built a ninety-year legacy, though earlier efforts sometimes left many works unnoticed due to distribution without clear criteria.
The Cultural Assistant, Julia Parra, emphasized that Alicante Museum recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with this exhibition, which brings numerous innovations in both the artworks and their explanatory context. The development signals a shift toward giving contemporary viewers a more prominent place on the map of 19th-century art.
She also pointed to the strong relationship between the two institutions, grounded in mutual trust that has continually pushed both to explore new possibilities.
The Mubag director, together with the exhibition curator and the head of the lending institution, thanked the Prado’s trust and highlighted the ongoing conversations that shaped the display. Legends have been translated into Valencian and English, and the exhibition space was redesigned to welcome natural light, with panels removed and artworks arranged in modular grids that resemble a metal loom.
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Situated on the first floor, the exhibition presents a tour through several thematic areas, reflecting international aesthetic currents and the public’s reception of the period. The narrative unfolds across seven sections: Alicante’s image of the port, Travel as learning, Recovered past, Painting as a social witness, Portrait as a social symbol, Toward the turn of the century, and Around the face feeling.
A dedicated set of religious art from the 16th and 17th centuries is also featured. It offers a backdrop that deserves illumination and closer study.
In addition, Mubag offers multimedia resources, including audio-visual elements, time-based poems, and original music that enrich the cultural context of the era and complement other art forms.
According to the museum leadership, several Prado works are being shown for the first time. Some pieces had not been exhibited before, others arrived directly from recent guest displays, and a number have appeared in temporary exhibitions.
The exhibition also includes 31 works from Mubag’s collection, with contributions from Alicante City Hall and other national and regional partners. The Valencia Museum of Fine Arts, the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, the Elisa Tomas Yusti Foundation, and three private collectors—two families and a private donor—are part of the extended network.
Prado Deposit
The Diputación presents works from the national gallery that have traveled here over decades. In total, 28 artifacts are tied to the Prado’s relic, with three held by the Alicante museum during its ongoing restoration.
Collaboration with the Museo Nacional del Prado has enriched the collection with ten recently acquired works. Notable items include Luís García Sampedro’s photograph, a piece titled God commands us to forgive, Federico Godoy’s On the beach of the Santa Clara Sanatorium, and two portraits: Manuel Benedito’s portrait of actress Mercedes Pérez de Vargas, and Leticia Bosch-Labrús, the Duchess of Dúrcal.
The initial deposit occurred in 1932, followed by a total of 14 works in 2012 and one in 2013. The most recent addition brought in ten paintings in 2021.