Museo Grabados, Marbella
Museo Grabados, Marbella is s also known as Museum of Spanish Contemporary Engravings.
This building was formerly the residential palace of the Mayor, Don Alonso de Bazán who donated it to the town to serve as a hospital for the poor. It is a fine example of a 16th century renaissance building.
The museum was opened on the 28th November 1992. Its basis was the private collection of José Luís Morales y Marín. The town hall refurbished the old Hospital for its use as a museum. A foundation was formed for the running of the museum and José Luís Morales y Marín was the first museum director until his death in 1998.
The museum is the first of its type in Spain and exhibits works by Picasso, Miró, Tapies, Chillida and several other famous painters.
Today the museum currently has about four thousand works made with various techniques: engraving (etching, dry ends, stencilling ...), lithography, serigraphy, xylography, additive techniques, as well as digital printing. It also holds an important collection of 'artists' books.
Every year it organises the National Engraving Awards. It has an active friends of the museum group.
Controversy over the annex
The ruined next door building was acquired by the foundation in 2002 to be an extension to the museum. The project was to provide exhibition halls on ground floor working rooms and storage on first floor and a 25m2 view-point on the top floor.
The museum closed in July 2015 pending words which were due to take 24 months. The works never started. The town hall subsequently blamed delay on Junta de Andalucia's approval who blamed the town Hall's lack of architectural memorandum. The building needed emergency shoring up by the town hall who then embargoed the building. Museum itself reopened in June 2016. The 1m € central government funding was included in the 2016 budget but still unused was removed from the 2017. The embargo lifted, the building is to be given to the town hall for reformation as a library for the museum.
Jean Cocteau
Since 2021 the museum has held a collection of original letters, photos and other memorabilia of the time French artist Jean Cocteau spent time in Marbella in the 1960s. They were donated by Cocteau's friend Pepe Carleton, who passed away in 2012.
Practical Info
Prices:
General: €3
Students: €1.50
Retired persons: Admission free.
Hours:
Monday 09.00 to 14.00 hrs
Tuesday to Friday: 09:00 - 19:00 hrs
Saturday: 09:00 - 14:00 hrs
Closed Sunday and Public Holidays
Contact:
Tel.:+34 952 765 741
[email protected]
www.mgec.es
LOCATION
The Engravings museum is located in the centre of Marbella Old Town,
Calle Hospital Bazan s/n
29601 Marbella (Málaga)
