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· The collection includes drawings, engravings, lithographs, and high-quality reproductions created using techniques such as lithography, woodcut, screen printing, and pochoir. Currently, the City Council is working on an exhibition project to showcase them to the public.
· With this acquisition, «Benalmádena takes a very big step as a cultural destination of reference,» also allowing researchers, collectors, and art lovers from around the world to «immerse themselves in the unique work of Picasso and other prominent artists,» emphasized the mayor
The Benalmádena City Council and the Fracaral Collection have signed a loan agreement that consolidates the free loan of 196 pieces of art by Pablo Picasso for display in the municipality for a period of 20 years. The total value of the collection, after a detailed study lasting more than a year, is estimated at 470,300 euros, including a set of graphic works by the Malaga artist for exhibition in the municipality for two decades.
The collection is «very diverse,» highlighted Mayor Juan Antonio Lara, covering themes such as mythology, nudity, theater, and the world of bullfighting. The collection includes drawings, engravings, lithographs, and high-quality reproductions created using techniques such as lithography, woodcut, screen printing, and pochoir. The City Council is now working on an exhibition project to showcase them to the public.
«This agreement is the result of this government’s commitment to culture and began with the historic exhibition of visitors at the Exhibition Center when we arrived and took shape in early 2024,» recalled Juan Antonio Lara. He then «worked tirelessly with the Fracaral Collection to sign a future loan commitment contract that is now a reality after a previous study of the works.»
With this acquisition, «Benalmádena positions itself as a cultural destination of reference,» also allowing researchers, collectors, and art lovers from around the world to «immerse themselves in the unique work of Picasso and other prominent artists,» emphasized the mayor.
In this regard, and accompanied by the councilor for Culture, Juan Antonio Lara emphasized that to carry out these studies, the City Council «has relied on a team of highly prestigious professionals» such as the specialist doctor in Picasso’s work, Carlos Ferrer, and the restorer specialist in conservation and restoration of graphic works, María José Montañés Garnica, with the advice of José María Luna and the coordination of Antonio Sánchez. The report delivered by this team includes a technical sheet for each piece, a detailed study of the conservation status, and analysis of the relevant documentation for each.
One of the most outstanding elements of the collection, according to Dr. Carlos Ferrer, is an original drawing that the artist gave to Dr. Jean Stehelin. This drawing, done on two different dates (at the end of 1968 and in March 1969), was a gift to the doctor who cared for Picasso in his final years. So much so, that he was the first person they called when Picasso passed away on the morning of April 8, 1973, but the doctor himself was already ill and would die a few days later, so he could not attend to the artist in his last hours. More than a dozen drawings dedicated to the doctor are known.
The collection includes engravings that belong to two series made between 1968 and 1971: the so-called Suite 347 and Suite 156. These engravings are representative of the artist’s style and technique in his later years. These works are referenced in the reasoned catalogs of Baer and Bloch. Therefore, the importance of this collection lies in the quantity and variety of pieces, which allows for a broad overview of the artist’s work, with clear potential for implementing the cultural offering of Benalmádena.