The Gravina Museum of Fine Arts, Mubag, has completed its permanent XIX century collection expansion, introducing 66 new works displayed on the first-floor closet under a headboard. The display traces a path from Neoclassical lines to a Romantic spirit, creating a curated section within the permanent room dedicated to Neoclassical and Romantic painting. The inauguration occurred on a Wednesday, with prominent attendees including the president of the Alicante Provincial Council, Tony Pérez, Culture Deputy Juan de Dios Navarro, and Miguel Falomir, director of the National Prado Museum. This renewed space features a selection of 26 paintings from the national gallery and benefits from new lighting that enhances the viewing experience.
Falomir highlighted Mubag and Prado’s longstanding collaboration, noting a ninety-year relationship that has gained momentum in recent years. Mubag houses a warehouse with 28 works, safeguarded and preserved to meet the demands of this artistic era.
The permanent room was temporarily closed for two months to install LED lighting, replacing previous fluorescent fixtures. The updated setup now welcomes the Neoclassical and Romantic selections, including works gathered at the María José Gadea police station. Among the 66 pieces, 17 are Neoclassical or Romantic paintings, along with 3 drawings, 2 sculptures, 24 miniatures, and 18 objects.
First female artist
The most notable innovation at Mubag is the introduction of the museum’s first work by a woman, a bust of naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire created by French sculptor Julie Charpentier in 1801. Charpentier exhibited it at the Paris Salon in 1800, and two of her pieces are preserved in the Louvre. The Mubag piece arrived as a bequest from a family, the Guisolphe of Spain, to the museum.
Two unpublished works by French artists are part of this acquisition mix; the other is a portrait of a gentleman by Eugene Quesnet, inherited by José Manuel Magro and displayed at the newly opened venue.
Consular School
The collection includes 53 pieces that originated mainly from the Provincial Council of Alicante. The works depict gifted students between land and sea, including figures such as José Aparicio and Joseph Peyret. Additionally, the nine hundred drawings from the Consular School, part of the IES Jorge Juan estate, were handed to Mubag for restoration; three of them are displayed, together with an academy scene related to Vicente Rodés and two drawings by Vicente Suárez Ordóñez.
Three hundred new works were included in Mubag
Spanish Romanticism is represented through portraits of Alicante’s bourgeois figures and family life, including the Beltrán Ausó donation from 1970, featuring a baby portrait of Rafael Beltrán, who served as President of the Provincial Assembly between 1897 and 1898, and a selection of miniature portraits by Federico Mingot.
According to Jorge Soler, Mubag’s director, the exhibition completes a tour of 19th-century Alicante by uniting works from the Naval Consulate with portraits of notable figures such as Rodés and Aparicio, creating a comprehensive panorama of the era.
Shared treasures
The President of the Provincial Assembly, Tony Pérez, spoke about the renewed exhibition, describing the unearthing of extraordinary artifacts that have been safeguarded by the Jorge Juan Institute and others, thanks to the generosity of Alicante families. He reminded visitors that the Prado has long maintained a presence in Alicante, a point underscored by the Prado Extended program during Miguel Falomir’s visit.
With the reopening of the permanent exhibition, two new works are introduced: La Cava Leaving the Bath, Florinda and Don Rodrigo, related to Isidore Lozano and entrusted by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando; and a self-portrait related to Joaquín Agrasot, donated by the Sánchez Mateo family. These pieces enrich Mubag’s growing collection and public display.