I like to experience every new art exhibition as a surprise; having art and nature take me by surprise is one of the most beautiful things I experience. On this occasion, when I entered the gallery, the surprise was twofold.
It was an exhibition about the city’s most famous architect; in fact, he is the architect behind the city’s most luxurious and significant buildings, from churches to the town hall. His name is Fernando Guerrero Strachan, and the exhibition in his honour, which I have mentioned before, has been one of the greatest of its kind that I have ever seen, in terms of architecture; but the history that encompasses all of this is also truly wonderful.
He worked during a time when the bourgeoisie had a very distinctive style, and I can see this on every walk I take through the city; the whole city speaks of this great figure whom I was able to get to know through this magnificent showcase of his work.
The exhibition naturally featured dozens of old plans, including some of the city itself, but I am referring to architectural plans owned by Strachan, which showcased the great work he carried out throughout his life and which continues to resonate today.
Blueprints, period photographs, magazine and newspaper articles about the architect and his work, sketches, and drawings of the different parts of the city where his work could be seen. The exhibition was of such high quality; everything I looked at was wonderful.
There were also plans of the town hall and the most important municipal market, the Atarazanas Market; its architecture and stained-glass windows are truly admirable. I marvelled at its age and was once again filled with wonder. There were also photographs of Calle Larios, the city’s most famous street, where numerous events are held today, such as the August fair or the Christmas light display. It was incredible to see it in photographs from that time, the 19th century.
That day I took over 150 photographs; I can never control myself when it comes to the number of photos I take, and when I looked at them, I didn’t know which ones to discard. On the previous occasion, I focused on the exhibition itself and on the great architect behind most of the city’s historic buildings. But there was much more than that in the hall. A large hall divided into many smaller ones.
Today I wanted to share some of the photographs I took of this person who was so important to the city, or rather, photographs of his completed works. They are all in black and white because it was a different era, and everything was carefully arranged in display cases.
But there was one beautiful detail in the exhibition. The museum itself, or rather, the Palacio de la Aduana, had selected several paintings from the second floor, which belong to the Museum of Fine Arts, to complement and adorn this marvellous exhibition.
View of Málaga from the port, early 20th century, oil on canvas, Ricardo Verdugo Landi.
View of the port of Málaga, oil on canvas, Guillermo Gómez Gil.
Sunset over the coast of Málaga, 1918, oil on canvas, Guillermo Gómez Gil.
I looked at the oil paintings, classic and realistic works depicting different parts of the city, most of them featuring various beaches, whilst many also focused on the harbour area; I’ve always loved seascapes. I remember that when I was studying painting, I always asked my teacher to let me paint the sea and boats; it was my fascination and I had never seen them in person. Today I can enjoy those landscapes whilst actually being there. That fills me with emotion.
Looking at these beautiful paintings, that is exactly what happens to me: I have visited those places, those beaches, and then I see them in paintings, but they are old, so they take me back in time.
El Peñón del Cuervo, Málaga – 1910 – Oil on canvas – Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida
El Peñón del Cuervo, 1917, oil on canvas, Ricardo Verdugo Landi.
In particular, there were two paintings depicting Peñón del Cuervo beach. I took many close-up photographs of the second painting in particular, which is my favourite. I stood as close to it as I could, given that a certain distance must be maintained. But my aim was to capture the textures, the brushstrokes and the impasto of each rock, the water and the painting as a whole.
Vase with the city’s coat of arms (of Málaga), 1878, oil on canvas, José María Bracho Murillo.
The exhibition was also decorated with other types of paintings, such as this still life.
La Emplumada, oil on canvas, Bernardo Ferrándiz Bádenes
Or this other one, which is also very beautiful.
Panorama from La Farola, 1900, chromolithograph, P.Z., from the historical archive of the Malaga College of Architects.
This is another painting that takes you back in time to the city’s neighbourhoods, which were once fishing districts, showing how they looked in those days. I was thinking about how much everything has changed; they’ve completely renovated everything and it looks wonderful now.
This was the artistic aspect in terms of the decorations, an exhibition within an exhibition, and the two complemented each other, offering visitors a unique experience.
Thank you very much for joining me today; I wish you all a very happy Sunday. See you soon.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own.
