Gravina Museum of Fine Arts, Mubag, in Alicante closed 2023 with a collection boasting nearly 3,000 works. This growth, achieved over the last three years, has been fueled by generous donations from families and individuals who view the museum as a trusted home for their art.
Over that period, close to twenty new contributions added about three hundred items to the collection. These works have become an integral part of Mubag’s holdings, a rich mosaic that highlights artists born in Alicante or who developed their careers in the region. From the seventeenth century to today, the museum has expanded its scope under the leadership and curatorial vision of Jorge Soler. The program now focuses on creators with established careers from the eighties through the early nineties, and three notable additions come from María Chana, Javier Lorenzo, and Elena Aguilera.
The new era also began with a 1935 portrait by Emilio Varela. The work, a fine Millet-style piece, was donated by the artist’s family, including his son Javier Pastor, who contributed one of his own works. Mubag now preserves eighty-five frames, though only four are portraits by Varela, underscoring the growing role of the collection in spotlighting a relatively underexplored portrait tradition. As a result, the collection broadens its representation of artists connected to the region and its history.
Maria Gazabat, a technician for Mubag’s collections, notes that additional cases are being integrated for the first time. The painter from Villena, Sunday Gimeno (1909-1978), contributes three portraits and a still life donated by his nephew. Likewise, twelve paintings by José Antonio Serna Ramos (Alicante, 1927-Valencia, 2011), a member of the last School of Paris movement, were gifted by his son Esdras and included for the first time in the collection. Two works from collectors such as Enrique Cosín (Soria, 1912-Monóvar, 1995) also expand the holdings, along with pieces by Emilio Martínez and Vicente Hernández. The collection further includes five paintings by international artist Juan Navarro Ramón (Altea, 1903-Sitges, 1989), who participated in the 1937 Paris Exhibition along with Picasso and Miró, though Mubag currently holds only one work by him.
Eusebio Sempere and Felipe Pantone, an approach in time at Mubag
The oldest item dates from the seventeenth century and comes from religious scenes attributed to anonymous creators. Two more works, presently under restoration, will soon join Mubag’s nineteenth-century paintings thanks to a donation from the Sánchez Mateo family: the self-portrait of young Joaquín Agrasot (Orihuela, 1836-Valencia, 1919) and a gentleman’s portrait. This marks a little-known facet of the Alicante sculptor Vicente Bañuls.
The most substantial contribution comes from Ricardo Fuente Caamaño, who provided 182 drawings by Alcoy artist Miguel Abad Miró. Ninety-one of these are currently on display at Mubag, part of a temporary loan. The collection includes pieces in modernist styles, such as a sofa in a late nineteenth-century look and a series of women’s clothing drawings, as well as works by Xavier Soler from 1967, including a collage and five sketches on the wooden doors of the historical Camisería Benavent on Alicante’s Rambla.
Mubag is integrated into the Generalitat’s Valencian Museums System.
The institution emphasizes that donations are more than acts of generosity; they help preserve a living story. Each acquisition adds a layer of biography to the object, as the donor and the painting together tell a fuller tale. Every piece is subject to quality checks before it joins Mubag’s shelves, ensuring the collection remains representative and well-preserved.
A coming chapter to watch is the ongoing expansion of the collection through strategic donations that strengthen Mubag’s narrative of local and international art. This year’s acquisitions continue to reflect a careful balance between regional artists and figures who left a mark on broader art movements, always with an eye toward accessibility and public engagement.
Next exhibition in 2024
Cultural Deputy Juan de Dios Navarro describes Mubag as a source of pride and a dependable place where art is handled with care, a beacon of generosity and collaboration. In June 2024, a new exhibition will showcase several of the donated pieces, offering visitors a curated look at the generosity that shapes Mubag’s growing collection.