Valencia Celebrates José Vergara with Major Free Exhibition

The City Museum of Valencia, housed in the historic Palace of the Marquis of Campo, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Valencia is celebrating the 300th anniversary of the birth of José Vergara with the major free exhibition José Vergara Gimeno (1726–1799). Painting, Fame and Fortune, running from April 24 to September 6, 2026. Held in Plaza del Arzobispo, this extensive retrospective honours one of the most important figures in 18th-century Valencian art.

The exhibition brings together 85 works, including paintings, sketches, and drawings from leading institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia, the Museo del Prado, the National Archaeological Museum, and private collections. Curated by David Gimilio, head of collections at the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia, the exhibition explores Vergara’s artistic evolution and his role in the transition from late Baroque to a more academic and classical style.

Visitors move through a series of thematic rooms revealing different aspects of Vergara’s career. Highlights include intimate self-portraits, major works such as Monstrance of Saint Andrew and Holy Family with Musical Angels, as well as a strong focus on his religious painting, which formed the core of his artistic production. The exhibition also examines his sketches, mythological works, and his lesser-known contributions to print drawing.

One of the most remarkable pieces on display is Adoration of the Magi, a drawing recovered in 2021 by the National Police after having disappeared for years.

The exhibition is accompanied by lectures from art history specialists and a forthcoming scholarly catalogue offering deeper insight into Vergara’s work and legacy.

José Vergara 

José Vergara Gimeno was the definitive figure of the Valencian Enlightenment. He successfully bridged the gap between late Baroque energy and the structured order of Neoclassicism.

Style and Composition

His work is defined by a rigorous classicist academicism. Vergara prioritized drawing as the foundation of painting, emphasizing anatomical precision and balanced compositions. Unlike the more impulsive brushwork of his contemporary Francisco Goya, Vergara’s figures are idealized and statuesque. He utilized a characteristically bright Mediterranean palette, replacing heavy Baroque shadows with luminous blues and clear, atmospheric light.

Themes and Iconography

His career was built upon the institutional needs of the Spanish Church and the Bourbon state.

• Ecclesiastical Commissions: He was the region's most prolific muralist, executing massive iconographic programs for the Valencia Cathedral and the Church of San Juan del Mercado.
• Formal Portraiture: His portraits of the clergy and nobility were designed to project status, piety, and the intellectual values of the Enlightenment elite.

Technical Approach

Vergara was a master of fresco and oil techniques, known for a high degree of finish that minimized visible brushwork. He relied on a disciplined process involving detailed preparatory sketches to manage large scale architectural decorations. His approach was intellectual and methodical, favoring clarity and permanence over spontaneous expression.

Legacy and Influence

His most significant contribution was the professionalization of the arts in Spain. As the founder and first director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos in 1768, he replaced the medieval guild system with a formal academic model. This shift elevated painting from a manual trade to an intellectual discipline, shaping the training of Valencian artists for over a century.