The Museum of Fine Arts of Córdoba is a museum founded in 1844 in Córdoba (Spain). It is located in Plaza del Potro, in the building of the former Hospital of the Charity, that also the seat of the Museum Julio Romero de Torres.
The museum was declared as Cultural Heritage Monument in 1962.
In the Plaza del Potro, opposite the Posada of the same name and sharing premises with the Julio Romero de Torres Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Córdoba has been located since 1862, in the most important part of which used to be the Hospital de la Caridad, an establishment which was set up in the last quarter of the 15th century, although its most significant architectural remains, such as the stairway, the patio and chapel belong to the first years of the 16th century. Nevertheless, its current architectural setting is the result of various changes which occurred mainly throughout the 20th century, by connecting some adjoining buildings to cater for the new requirements deriving from the donations and deposits which it has received.
Most of the museum’s funds are related to the art and artists of the city of Cordoba or related to the same province, based on its acquisition policy and the museum’s exhibition speech. His most famous paintings date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and are signed by painters such as Pablo de Céspedes or Antonio del Castillo. In the nineteenth century, especially after the confiscations in the city, their collections grew. Later, donations of artists along with relations with other institutions, both the Junta de Andalucía and the State, allowed the museum to complete its artistic field.
Since 1986 the museum has focused on the acquisition of works of all styles and techniques (focusing on the contemporary invoice), drawings, prints and prints, and sculpture.
Most of the museum’s funds are related to the art and artists of the city of Cordoba or related to the same province, based on its acquisition policy and the museum’s exhibition speech. His most famous paintings date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and are signed by painters such as Pablo de Céspedes or Antonio del Castillo. In the nineteenth century, especially after the confiscations in the city, their collections grew. Later, donations of artists along with relations with other institutions, both the Junta de Andalucía and the State, allowed the museum to complete its artistic field.
Since 1986 the museum has focused on the acquisition of works of all styles and techniques (focusing on the contemporary invoice), drawings, prints and prints, and sculpture.
Confiscation of Mendizábal:
This affected in the city at first to the masculine convents and, in the middle of 1836, to the female convents of the main orders. Since this happens until the museum is founded in 1844, nine years pass in which the suppressed goods are left without a definitive place, leading to the loss of these by clandestine sales along with other reasons. One of them is that, due to the lack of space to store, they had to deposit in entities outside the State, that later could not be raised. Thus, the museum is typified as a museum of painting (the few sculptures it possesses passed to the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba).
Confiscation of 1868 and following years:
This did not have great importance getting to expropriate in Cordova four feminine convents; And, in the province, the confiscation of a Priego de Córdoba convent, a work is added to the museum. The person in charge on this occasion, Luis Maraver and Alfaro, dedicated himself to the seizure of pictorial works. Thus increased the collection of the sixteenth century.
As of 1870 two events occur that condition to the increase of the collection. On the one hand, the acquisitions made through the Commission of Monuments adding the proprietary collection of José Saló and Junquet, where is located the origin of the important background of drawings of the museum. Secondly, in 1898, the contribution (called Donation Cabriñana) of Carmen Extremera Tragó, Marquesa de Cabriñana del Monte, was recorded, who obtained an important collection of old and modern paintings, a large library and different antiques. When he was widowed by Ignacio María de Argote y Salgado (1820-1891), he assigned the collection to different museums and to his city.
Donations, deposits and acquisitions of the twentieth century:
This century is characterized by the significant increase of the collections of the museum, either by purchase, donation or deposit. It is in this moment when the Section of Modern Art is created by donation of different artists, next to diverse deposits coming from the Provincial Delegation of Cordova. In addition they are joined to the collection paintings by local artists like Julio Romero and the own Enrique Romero by means of donation. To this must be added a succession of deposits from the State of other institutions, as well as the Junta de Andalucía from 1986.
Donation Avilés .:
In 1922 the donation of this Cordovan character, Ángel Avilés Merino (1842-1924), of important political position throughout his career and in addition, artist and fan of the art collection. He distributed his collection between the Academy of San Fernando and the Museum of Fine Arts of Cordoba, with about four hundred works, mostly in small format and important contemporary Spanish artists.
Deposit Inurria:
After the death of Mateo Inurria Lainosa (1867-1924), his widow, María Luisa Serrano Crespo, as sole heir of his property, tried to make a museum about her husband, selling the collection to the City of Madrid and then to Córdoba . It was not until 1942 when it was deposited in the Museum of Fine Arts in Cordoba, where it was possible to dedicate an exclusive room, in one of the enlargements of the museum. In addition to his own production, we find works from his private collection, such as various engravings of European and Spanish artists from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Donation Bea Pelayo:
Luis Bea Pelayo (1878-1962) dedicated his life to painting, eventually forming a large collection of works of art. Due to the relationship with the family Romero de Torres decided to donate it to the Museum of Fine Arts, between 1948 and 1962.
Alongside this donation are also received various individual works.
Donation Camacho Padilla:
Although born in Baza (Granada) was an illustrious and important personage for the city of Cordova, where would develop a very important cultural and literary activity. Along with this would be dedicated to the increase of its library and collection of works of art and archaeological.
In his 1945 testament he already expressed his intention to donate the library to Baza, his collection of medals and coins to the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba; And his collection of paintings, engravings and sculpture to the Museum of Fine Arts. This would not become effective until 1969, the year in which his wife died.
Two last decades of XX and XXI century:
The museum has been involved in private donations and various deposits that the various administrations have been making, mainly of works acquired from the national art trade.
With respect to the deposits made by the Administrations, they have, first, those carried out by the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Andalucía.
Sections:
The building has a general architectural structure on two floors, with three exhibition halls in each one, dedicated to the exhibition of paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings with which it is intended to reflect, through didactic and chronological criteria, what Was the artistic development of the city of Cordoba during the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Thus, we find that it is part of medieval Cordoban art until the contemporary, next to an exhibition hall where we see the collection of drawings with different themes.
The collection of paintings is the most extensive of the museum, having works from the fourteenth century to recent dates. The oldest works of the museum belong to the former head of the Mosque-Cathedral, which today is known as the Villaviciosa Chapel. They were discovered in 1880 when it was restored to restore its Islamic aspect. According to the data of Rafael Romero Barros, it was signed by Alonso Martínez and dated in 1341. From this decorative repertoire it was acquired a Head of Christ and a Head of the Virgin, serving as testimony of the influence of Sienese painting in the recently painted Cordobesa .
From the XV century they have an anonymous work of the first half of the century, representing a Calvary made with technique to temper and with touches to the oil. Since the second half of the century we find important works that show the vitality of the city, thanks to the promulgation of various ordinances. Of here it emphasizes San Nicholas of Bari or the Altarpiece of the flogging.
It will be in the sixteenth century when the Cordovan painting will free itself from the strong flamenco influence and begin to show interest in the Italian currents as the beginning of the Cordovan Renaissance, having as an outstanding work a Virgin with the Child of Pedro Romana and a Christ tied to the Column with donors of Alejo Fernández.
The museum has a greater volume of works corresponding to the sixteenth century onwards. From the transition from painting to Mannerism we find, in the second half of the sixteenth century, works by Luis Fernández, Baltasar del Águila or works related to the Cordovan school of the time. From Mannerism itself we have Pablo de Céspedes, who increased his theoretical and practical knowledge of painting in Italy with Arbasia, Zuccaro or Volterra. From it, the museum has a Virgin with angels. This leaves behind a string of artists who supposed the rise of painting Cordovan, such as: Juan de Peñalosa and Sandoval or Antonio Mohedano de la Gutierra.
The museum also has works by Sevillian artists such as one attributed to Francisco Pacheco; Or works in which are seen influences of Sevillian artists like the circle of Alonso Vázquez.
In the XVII century Córdoba is seen before the arrival of artists of other provinces being influenced by these. The schools of Andalusia that would have more weight would be the one of Granada, on the one hand, due to the arrival of Sebastián Martínez and Cristóbal Vela Cobo. On the other hand, the Sevillian school would also have its weight in consequence to the march of the artists cordobeses towards Seville for its formation, between 1630 and 1640.
Testimony of all this are the works that are in the museum like the ones of Agustín of the Castle, Fernando Molina Sandoval, Juan Luís Zambrano, Andrés Ruiz of Sarabia and the own Juan de Valdés Leal. The influence of Zurbarán will also be seen in other works of these moments, as in a Blessed Ambrosio Sancedoni.
Among other figures of equal mention and of which the museum has works are Jose Ruiz de Sarabia, Fray Juan del Santísimo Sacramento, Juan de Alfaro and Gámez and, in the workshop of Vela Cobo, his son, Antonio Vela.
Alongside all this are the works attributed to authors throughout the nation, such as a Rest in the Flight to Egypt attributed to José de Ribera.
Of this century, the painter Antonio del Castillo and Saavedra deserve special attention, as a fundamental exponent of the Baroque of Cordoba. The work of Calvary of the Inquisition stands out within the museum, whose place of origin was the chapel of the Court possessed in the Alcázar of the Christian Kings. Along with these works come from different convents such as the Dominican convent of San Pablo. In addition, works of different temples. A final group of his works are those that have an uncertain origin next to those that are linked with followers of Castillo.
In the first half of the century is the figure of Jose Ignacio Cobo and Guzman, who was the House Painter of Bishop Salazar and Gongora. By 1718 he would make a series of sixteen great works of the life of St. Peter Nolasco of which he possesses the three museum, such as, for example, the Birth of St. Peter Nolasco.
Another noteworthy one is Antonio Fernández de Castro of whom the museum conserves more than half a dozen canvases, in attributed way, like a Christ tied to the column or A conversion of San Agustín.
Also the first works of Antonio Acisclo Palomino de Castro Velasco, before its march to the Court with the position of Painter of the King, with which counts an Adoration of the Kings, a Denial of San Pedro and a San Jeronimo Penitente. From a more advanced period we have a signed Flight to Egypt.
Along with all this, the museum has works by artists from all over the nation, although in small numbers, as a work attributed to Francisco Bayeu Subías. To this is added a work of the Neapolitan Domenico Brandi: St. Jerome penitent.
Until the second half of the century, Córdoba would not see a boom in his painting, being reflected in the museum. Thus, they have works by Mariano Belmonte Vacas. Alongside this are artists who reach to prolong their activity in the first years of the new century, although at that moment they are already engaged in complementary activities, such as Ángel Barcia Pavón or Narciso Sentenach Cabañas.
Of the artists with more weight is Rafael Romero Barros, having the museum more than a thirty of works, of which it emphasizes Bodegón of oranges.
Between 1875 and 1936 the “silver age of Spanish art” was produced, in which Cordoba would have an important localist echo, formed in the Provincial School with Rafael Romero Barros. Among his disciples would be his son Rafael Romero de Torres or Tomás Muñoz Lucena. In addition, other artists who did not form in the Provincial School but who also have important weight as José Garnelo and Alda or the own Julio Romero de Torres.
The set of works due to artists fit within the painting of the nineteenth Spanish exceeds more than a hundred, although the majority of them are of small format and of diverse supports and techniques, since to a large extent they entered with the significant donation realized by Angel Avilés.
In any case, thanks to them, the museum also preserves an important collection of works by artists belonging to the different schools that make up the national panorama. Like, for example, Joaquin Sorolla, Darío de Regoyos, Santiago Rusiñol or Ramón Casas.
Although in a smaller quantity, some paintings by artists who have been active in the post-1940 period have also been preserved, having been donated privately and over the last three decades. With works of Team 57, Ginés Liébana, Desiderio Delgado, among many others.
Of less importance and number due to the history of the acquisitions of the museum in which neither the processes desamortizadores nor the subsequent purchases made, came to contribute, until the twentieth century through donations by the authors.
The most significant work in antiquity is a Baby Jesus by Juan de Mesa Velasco, who follows the iconographic model established by his teacher Montañés. Next to this are several crucified in ivory of different origin.
Thus even the most significant in sculpture is Matthew Inurria Lainosa with works diverse of its trajectory like A shipwreck, Seneca, a Christ tied to the column or the three ages of the woman.
Of more recent time it emphasizes a crucified Christ of Rafael Orti and one of Team 57.
Composed of half a thousand originals from the 16th to the 20th centuries, the stable collection of drawings has traditionally been considered one of the most significant in Spain, after those in institutions such as the Prado Museum and the National Library. Although in the stable collection of drawings there are examples due to artists from national and foreign schools of different times, its most important nucleus refers to artists, well Cordobese, or linked to the city in a specific way during the XVII to XX centuries.
Thus the museum has works by Pedro de Campaña, works attributed to José de Ribera and Juan Valdés Leal, or an Alonso Cano. A great weight have the works of Antonio del Castillo next to those of Mateo Inurria Lainosa.
The stable collection of engravings also currently exceeds the thousand copies in the most various printing techniques on paper. Some of them appear grouped forming books, or specific series endowed with unity by reason of its authorship or thematic. In addition to specific series of which you can see an edition of the Caprichos and another of the Proverbs of Francisco de Goya.
As for loose works or one author’s tirades, the best Spanish engravings of the eighteenth century, along with others of the nineteenth century, are represented. Significant is the representation of some fundamental artists in the history of contemporary engraving of creation, which would connect with avant-garde attitudes in painting within the period known as “the silver age of Spanish art.”
There is also a museum with a small collection of ceramics, including two Japanese vases from the 19th century, five blue-colored Talaveran vessels, several trianero jars decorated with Cordovan motifs in Maroto’s workshop, two similarly shaped jars and some Another vessel from alfonso andujanos.
In addition it has in its stable collection a set of thirty reproductions in patinated plaster of other famous works of the Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Renaissance cultures, that arrived at the museum in 1905 from the old National Museum of Reproductions.
Given the number of pieces that make up this collection could be made a museum of its own. In fact, after the death of María Romero de Torres, the collection was annexed to the museum pending the completion of the works of conditioning the building for its adaptation to Casa-Museo Romero de Torres, where it would be exhibited.
Thus, the composition of the same is very varied with the library and particular archive of family members, all furniture and decorative objects. This will highlight the collection of archaeological pieces and paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints, with the protagonism of works related to the family directly.
The Section of Plastic Arts is composed of more than 750 works, highlighting, by number, the section corresponding to the drawings, with more than 400. These drawings, for the most part, correspond to the essays and sketches of the artists of the family , Mixed with others of interest of artists of the city and the country. The engravings total more than 170 works, taking the weight in the nineteenth century.
The Archaeological Section is another of the most interesting, composed by almost 400 works of diverse variety that are dated from the Calcolítico until century XV. The work of archaeological collection was started by Romero Barros, and then increased by his son Enrique. Thus, the collection is formed with works from the Iberian period, going through the Roman, Visigothic, Andalusian, Mozarabic pieces until the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
Another is the Section of Ceramics and Glass, made up of more than 900 pieces, formed by the special interest of the women of the family Romero de Torres, with the functions of use and decoration. A first group of these pieces is composed of dishes, fountains and other domestic utensils from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Another group is composed of very varied tiles from the 16th to the 19th century. Finally, the collection of glass, with more than 400 objects, which had mostly a function of use, situated between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Iron and Metals Section is composed of more than 200 pieces of different sizes, times and characteristics, which played a decorative and utilitarian role.
The Furniture Section consists of the set of furniture inside the house, dominated in it the prototypical styles of the Spanish and Andalusian functional furniture between 1850 and 1950.
The last section is the Library, Hemeroteca and Archive with more than 5000 volumes, in which the subjects related to the different artistic subjects predominate, along with books of poetry, novels, history books, social question or even legal And devotional. The so-called Hemeroteca is conformed by the different collections of newspapers and magazines of private property. And finally, the Archive is linked fundamentally to Enrique Romero de Torres for his investigations related to being in charge of the task of the Artistic Inventories of Córdoba, Cadiz and Jaén.