The Museo de Arte de Valencia (MuBaV) is presenting the “great jewels” of BBVA Bank’s classical art collection in a “unique” and difficult-to-reproduce exhibition consisting of nearly identical content. 90 works Although they were created between the 15th and 20th centuries, … Although separated in time, they “share the same ideological framework”: “the concepts of monarchy, religion, and art.”
In this way, “classic and modern”. Masterpieces from the BBVA Collection allows you to explore BBVA’s extensive collection of more than 9,000 works and discover its major works, paintings typically considered to date from the high period, the 19th century, and a selection of works from across the centuries.
The exhibition opened this Thursday at MuBaV with the participation of director and exhibition curator Pablo González Tornel. Regional Culture Secretary Pilar Tebar and BBVA’s Eastern Territory Director José Manuel Mier.
The Provincial Secretary highlighted the quality of the selection that the public will enjoy, with “undoubtedly top-class masterpieces” by some of “the most important names in the history of art”.
Along these lines, José Manuel Mier assured that it is a “great pleasure and privilege” for BBVA to participate in the collaboration with the Valencian Museum of Fine Arts. Because BBVA has a “firm commitment to culture.” “We are honored to have been allowed to exhibit these works here and we hope that many Valencians will enjoy this wonderful opportunity,” he stressed.
MuBaV’s director explained that the development of this project was a long process, not only “huge in quantity” but also “chronologically”, requiring the selection of masterpieces from collections like BBVA.
“A framework of the same way of thinking”
For this reason, Gonzalez Tornel, curator of the exhibition, decided to focus the selection on classical works of art “from the beginning of the collection, with the first works at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, to the dematerialization of paintings created at the beginning of this century.”
In this sense, he pointed out that all these works, despite belonging to different eras, have in common “the same frame of thought that allows the viewer to know and appreciate Flemish painting of the 16th century and Catalan painting of 1900.”
He thus pointed out that “much of this conceptual framework that animates the entire exhibition boils down to three things: the existence of the sociopolitical system of the monarchy, the framework of philosophical thought that is Christianity, and the concept of what is art and what is good art.”
The exhibit is divided into four sections, offering a themed, chronological tour. The first section, “The Age of Kings and Gods,” brings together portraits and religious scenes that show how monarchs, dynasties, and churches used images as symbols of prestige, legitimacy, and devotion, making art an important means of serving power and religion.
From the Dukes of Burgundy to the Austrians and Bourbons in Spain, the portraits of Pantoja de la Cruz, Carreño de Miranda, Goya, and the religious works of Murillo, Van Dyck, and Josefa de Obidos demonstrate the power of painting as a visual language of authority and faith.
The second section, “Portraits: Man at the Center of the World,” is dedicated to man’s greatest claim to the center of the universe, to be known, recognized, and remembered: the portrait.
usual scene
The consolidation of the genre in Western Europe coincided with the birth of humanism and the economic strength of Italy and Burgundy, two regions of the continent, and in modern times portraits increasingly extended beyond princes, as illustrated by Mierbert’s portraits of the Flemish bourgeoisie, as well as portraits by Goya and Agustín Esteve of Valencia.
The third section, “Triumph of Genre: Landscapes, Still Lifes, Habits,” brings together landscapes, still lifes, and traditional landscapes created without specific commissions and aimed at the art market and the new bourgeois clientele.
Works by Jan Brueghel, Jan Wildens, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Tomas Yepes, and Paul de Vos reveal the Flemish, Dutch, and Spanish masters’ virtuosity in representing nature and everyday life, with a realism that captivated collectors across Europe.
The fourth and final section, “The Road to Modernity,” deals with the transition from academicism to realism and the advent of modernity in an era marked by political and social transformation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The works of Sorolla, Zuloaga, Legoyos, Rusiñol and Arteta testify to the multiple styles that coexisted in contemporary Spain, from Catalan modernism and Valencian luminous realism to the critical and dedicated perspective on artists associated with the Crisis of ’98. Art once again becomes a mirror and record of the changing times.
“Almost no works” exhibited in Valencia
Asked if the works from the exhibition had ever been shown again in Valencia, González Tornel said they were “hardly exhibited” in the capital Turia or other cities, as these works are not normally exhibited.
“Forty-two pieces were exhibited in Bilbao, and it was the first time I had seen them,” he said, while pointing out that these works cannot “want forever” because they belong to different places and have “representative roles” in different BBVA headquarters.
The director of MuBaV therefore claims that this exhibition is a “very unique opportunity” to enjoy around 90 masterpieces from the organization’s collection, adding Maria Luisa Barrio, one of the heads of collections. “This is the first time, and probably the last time, that we’ll see all of these together. We should take this opportunity to see it.”
BBVA collection
The BBVA collection consists of over 9,000 works covering a wide range of historical periods from the 15th century to the present day. Works from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries stand out in the collection, represented by an exceptional selection of art, mainly from the Dutch, Flemish and Spanish schools, such as Goya, Van Dyck, Sniers, Piquenoi, Pantoja de la Cruz, Carreño de Miranda and Murillo.
Additionally, 20th century art is of great interest, with many internationally recognized artists such as Santiago Rusiñol, Maria Blanchard, Joan Miró, Yves Tanguy, Antonio López, Antoni Tapies, and Miquel Barceló.
The mission of the BBVA Collection has always been to preserve, research, and present its collections to the widest possible audience. To do this, the works will be displayed physically and digitally in a variety of settings, including special exhibitions and museum deposits.
Similarly, the organization promotes research and scientific cataloging of its works as a starting point to enable the dissemination of this extensive heritage, based on the belief that art and culture are important elements for improving people’s lives.
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