On Friday, 3 June, it has been celebrated at the Boardroom at the Cultural Centre La Nau the signing of the donation to the Universitat de València of 166 works, between pictorial, graphic and ceramic works, on the part of the emeritus full university professor of the institution Julio Marín. The event has had the presence of the Principal of the Universitat de València, Esteban Morcillo and the donor.
The most significant part of this donation is formed by more than a hundred works made by the Valencian artist Juan Borràs Casanova. Most of them are oil paintings, of different formats and media, which date from 1933 to the 80s.
It also stands out a significant part of the graphic work, which dates back to the 70s and 80s of the XX century, made, mainly, by Valencian artists closely linked to professor Marín. Among the works there are authors such as Alberto Corazón, Juan Genovés, Alberto Solsona, Equipo Realidad, Jordi Ballester, Aldo Modino, Rafael Solbes, Equipo Crónica, Calduch, Monjalés y Spadari, among others.
The full university professor in Medicine, who declares having received purchase offers for most of the works, highlights the importance that this legacy lies in an institution and, particularly, at the Universitat de València.
Moreover, the Principal of the Universitat has expressed his satisfaction not just with the increase of the heritage for the institution, but also with the sentimental value that this heritage has since it comes from the full university professor Julio Marín.
This month there are planned two more donation events. On 8 June, on the hands of the full university professor in Aesthetics and Art Theory of the Universitat de València, Román de la Calle, and on 15, when there will take place a multiple donation of different individuals.
Juan Borrás Casanova (L’Olleria, 1909 – Valencia, 1987) was a Valencian painter and poster artist. He is among the Valencian artists influenced by the Avant-Gardes, the emergence of Art Deco and Surrealism until making, at the period of the Spanish Civil War, a particular synthesis between social realism and allegory tinged by surrealistic echoes.
During the Civil War he worked for the CNT making several propaganda posters. In 1937 two of his works were selected for the Spanish Republic Pavilion at the International Exposition of Paris, where they were exhibit along with the emblematic ‘Guernica’ by Picasso.
After Franco’s victory, Juan Borràs was living for years in exile, first in Montevideo and, afterwards, in Buenos Aires. He never stopped painting. During the exile he works mainly on portraits with great success, thanks to the particular smartness of his work, without putting aside his strong oneiric works. He came back for good to Valencia in 1959 where he passed away on 15 November 1987.
Last update: 3 de june de 2016 13:34.
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