The Consortium of Museums of the Valencian Community (CMCV) and the Valencia City Council invite you to delve deeper into the figure of the Valencian painter Manuel Benedito, through a conference by the head of the 19th century Painting Collection at the Prado Museum, Javier Baron. on tuesday 3 of March, at 18.00 hours, Barón will give the conference 'Manuel Benedito 1875- 1963’, at the City Museum, where the monographic exhibition that commemorates the 150 anniversary of the artist's birth, ‘Manuel Benedito. The painter and the models, that can be seen until 29 of March.
Accompanied by the curator of the exhibition, Pascual Masia, Javier Barón will delve into the painting of the Valencian master, disciple of Sorolla, beyond his well-known role as a portraitist. Barón has highlighted that “the artistic personality of Manuel Benedito, throughout his career, "It is that of a painter endowed with great technical capacity that he manifested through different genres.". “Although he is well known as a portraitist, it is also worth looking at his genre paintings and the campaigns he carried out in northern Europe during the first decade of the century”, the expert added.
Precisely from this stage, the exhibition shows a selection of works resulting from a work campaign by the painter in Holland at the beginning of 1900, “when a Benedito in full faculties synthesizes all his pictorial knowledge in paintings that were always considered by critics to be among the best of his production and that were awarded in various competitions and exhibitions” explained Masiá.
The 'Self-portrait with the return of work' is also from this period. (1905), shown for the first time to the public, after its acquisition by the Prado Museum in 2024.
Unpublished drawings
The exhibition 'Manuel Benedito. The painter and the models' brings together 65 construction, 50 paintings and 15 drawings that review some of the great milestones in his career. Much of the exhibition is made up of works from the Manuel Benedito Foundation of Madrid, along with pieces from the Prado Museum, from the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, from the Sorolla Museum, the Banco Santander Collection, the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various private collections. Among his great portraits is one of Cléo de Mérode, star of the Paris Opera and icon of the Belle Époque, or a series of nude drawings by Concha Piquer that had never been exhibited and that “evidence the relationship of complicity that was established between the painter and his models,” explains Masiá.
Javier Baron, expert in 19th century painting
Javier Barón is an expert in 19th century painting. Doctor in Art History from the University of Oviedo, entered the Prado Museum in 2003 as head of the 19th Century Painting Department. He is the author of numerous publications and curator of exhibitions about 19th and 20th century painting., as 'The 19th century in the Prado, Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923)’, 'Turner and the teachers', 'The landscaper Martín Rico (1833-1908)’, o 'El Greco and modern painting o Fortuny (1838-1874)’. In addition, He is part of the advisory board of the Spanish Art Archive and is a member of the Royal Institute of Asturian Studies, of the Royal Academy of History, of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, of the Board of Trustees of the Sorolla Museum Foundation and the Board of Valuation of Works of Art of the Madrid City Council.
