Allegory of History, Industry and Commerce of Malaga (Bernardo Ferrandiz y Badenes (1835-1885) 1870, oil on canvas) in the Museum of Málaga, Spain.

The 19th century was one of the most significant periods in the city’s history. The booming economy, the rising bourgeoisie and urban planning reforms combined to forge its identity and that of the future Museum of Málaga.

In those years, the development of industry and trade facilitated the establishment of a liberal bourgeois class who, motivated by that material prosperity, began to show their interest in the arts and education. They created centres of learning and institutions like the School of Fine Arts and the Royal Academy of San Telmo, which soon replaced the church and nobility as the new patrons of art.

The city underwent an unprecedented urban transformation as working-class neighbourhoods sprang up, the historic quarter was remodelled, and new venues of artistic enjoyment and entertainment were built, such as the Cervantes Theatre. The painter Bernardo Ferrándiz was hired to decorate the theatre’s interior. The great painting on the ceiling of the performance hall was to feature the port and railway station as symbols of Málaga’s enterprising spirit and progress, and industry, commerce and agriculture were also represented in this allegorical composition, which presents the city as a protector and patron of the fine arts.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Museum of Málaga, Spain
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Bernardo Ferrandiz y Badenes (1835-1885)
Date: 1890

Image details
Date: 5 May 2022
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6G ED
Focal Length: 19mm
Aperture: ƒ/3.5
Shutter Speed: 1/20s
ISO: 800
Licence: Image of a Museum of Málaga asset. This image cannot be licensed.