After their removal from the walls of the Postiguet waterfront bathing pavilion to allow demolition in 1992, the paintings had not reappeared on Alicante walls until this morning when they were hung in a MACA courtyard space. These three works, created by Manuel Baeza between 1911 and 1986, have traveled a long road: recovered after a meticulous five year restoration guided by the Valencian Institute for Conservation, Restoration and Research, and now displayed again in all their original intensity.
In 1956, Baeza accepted a commission from the Alicante City Council for 25,000 pesetas. He refused to seal the artifacts behind glass, even though the pieces were to decorate a bar-restaurant near the pavilion, and he envisioned five large picture boards gracing the beachside studio on Postiguet. Years later the pavilion was rebuilt and the paintings were moved to the new structure. They endured a collapse in 1992, a turning point in their history.
These Alicante works endured a long journey. They survived humidity, smoke, heat, and kitchen oils, lingering in storage until fate struck again in 2007. The Ministry of Culture received a report about three paintings emerging from years of neglect, and the question of their fate began to be settled. Only three survived; two were presumed broken when they were removed from the pavilion. Rosa Castells, curator of MACA, recalls the careful rescue that followed, the packing, and the quiet waiting for their moment to return to light.
When the opportunity finally arrived in 2016, IVCR+i stepped in with a restoration plan for an important Alicante treasure. The team faced three murals, two of them measuring two meters and one at 2.45 meters. The painting surfaces appeared black and oily with a messy backing, a harsh clue to years of neglect. Yet the restoration team approached the task with clarity, studying techniques, pigments, and the materials involved to guide the process forward. The lead conservator at the center described the challenge with measured optimism.
The mural depicting women with fish baskets proved the most deteriorated. It was completely coated in oil and layered accretions from environmental dirt and varnish. One panel bore heat damage from prior use as a smoke-retaining wall, altering the material properties of the paint. Greta Garcia, who supervised the restoration, explains that the tempera binder used by Baeza is delicate and lacks the durable resilience of oil. Cleaning required a careful, methodical approach.
Three panels were prepared for exhibition at MACA until January 9, accompanied by a display that contextualizes them with sketches from the Municipal Archives, other relevant documents, and a video detailing the careful work performed. Before Alicante, the works were shown at the Palau de la Generalitat de València in October 2021, a reminder that Valencian culture houses a broader spectrum of artistic talent beyond any single figure or city.
Recovery process
The materials used by Baeza posed substantial challenges. The murals were painted in tempera, a binder that cleans with great care and rewards patience. The restoration team emphasized that tempera has no oil resistance, no hardness, and is highly susceptible to deterioration. After cleaning tests, a layered approach was adopted to remove grime and varnish without harming the original pigment.
Initial cleaning employed aqueous methods with chelating agents to dissolve surface grease. Following that, gelled surfactants targeted thick oil layers. Finally, a gelled solvent mixture addressed polyurethane varnishes that had crept into the artworks. The goal was to restore the painting’s original appearance while preserving its historical integrity.
In addition to the paintings themselves, the team reinforced all the scattered wooden supports, replacing missing pieces with matching wood and organic glue with properties identical to the original. The conservation effort included constructing protective wooden frames for each panel, turning them into independent, load-bearing works while guarding them from future harm. The backs were finished with acid-free foam board for extra stability.
a space to put them
With the MACA exhibition concluding, the next step is to identify a stable, publicly accessible location for permanent display. The cultural leadership notes that the trio should be kept together, ideally in a space that allows the public to view them together. A dedicated home will help ensure they are not hidden away again.
Size and placement remain critical factors in choosing a site. A public venue with clear visibility and robust environmental controls is preferred, ensuring the three works are experienced as a cohesive set. There is also discussion about another potential cultural space in the near future, which could house the murals in a permanent setting.
MACA and IVCR+i have agreed to keep the public informed about future plans and to respect the integrity of the restorations. If there are photographs from the original pavilion showing how the murals were arranged, those images would help guide the reinstallation or reconstruction of the original display context, further enriching the exhibit’s historical narrative.