The collection housed by Marbella’s Ralli Museum started to take shape long before the latter existed, with its origins dating back to the privated collection started by Harry Recanati.
Harry and Martine Recanati, patrons and founders of the Ralli Museums, devoted much of their lives to promoting and supporting art and artists, both new and well-established. After decades of private collecting and with the foundation of the Museums, the Ralli Collection was established, being shared by all the Ralli Museums. This means that the great variety of this private collection is always available to each one. This means that the great variety of this private collection is always available to each one.
Hall 4. Sculpture by Salvador Dalí, in the background oil by Carlos Aresti.
© Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, VEGAP, Marbella, 2023
Contemporary Art at the Ralli Museum Marbella
The Ralli Museum of Marbella Collection contains works of modern and contemporary art of mostly Latin American and European origin, also featuring artists from Eastern Europe, North America and Israel.
The genres of Surrealism and magical realism are particularly well-represented in the Collection, denoting the taste and predilection of its founders for these artistic styles. Both movements make up the backbone of the Collection, providing the basis for other currents and artists that complement the contemporary Latin American and Europeanartistic panorama.
The Collection exhibited by the Ralli Museum was formed around the artistic quality of the works, regardless of the fame of the painters or their market value. In terms of Latin American art, our collection is evidence of the founders’ initial strong commitment to new artists who nowadays are key figures in the history of art.
Henry Moore, Two standing figures (1949)
© The Henry Moore Foundation. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2012 / www.henry-moore.org, Marbella, 2023
Collection of European art
Chronologically-speaking,works of European origin in the Collectionare mostly from the years between 1920 and 1980, a key period in the history of European art. They include paradigmatic avant-gardeexamples like Giorgio de Chirico, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, George Braque, Sonia Delaunay and Arman.
From Fauvism to kinetic art, through Italian Futurism, Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, New Realism and abstract art, the Ralli Museum Collection includes artists who illustrate the movements that took place in this period.
Rodolfo Stanley, Historial de las Indias, [History of the Indies] (1991)
Latin American Art Collection
The works of art from Latin American artists included in the Ralli Collection mostly cover the period between 1960 and 2000. There are representatives from every country, with artists of Argentine origin being particularly outstanding in terms of number and relevance, including Alicia Carletti, Carlos Alonso, Guillermo Amengual, Jorge Ortigueira, Ernesto Deira and Rómulo Macció, as well as the Cuban Wifredo Lam, the Peruvian Carlos Revilla, the Guatemalan Elmar Rojas, the Mexicans Mario Aguirre and José Luis Cuevas, the Costa Rican Rodolfo Stanley and the Chilean artists Roberto Matta and Nemesio Antúnez and Carmen Aldunate.
Avant-garde art from Latin America in the Ralli Collection
In the 20th century, artistic expansion took place with new aesthetic and social approaches from the 1950s onwards, with the avant-garde becoming institutionalised across the continent. Work from artists who make up the bulk of the Ralli Collection were to emerge from this point. This search for a Latin American identity and its own style of art predominates in these works.
The Ralli Collection opts for a type of Latin American art in which figuration is predominant, with Surrealist and magical realistic works taking on particular importance. Artists from movements such as abstract art or kinetic art are also present, although to a lesser extent. Works linked to indigenous traditions stand out within the different movements, which through avant-garde languages translate into works of symbolic realism that even come close to Surrealism.
The period preceding this expansion, between 1920 and 1950, suffered from especially convoluted artistic and social development due to political repressions, dictatorships and the development situation of Latin American countries. In spite of this panorama, this period saw works from names like Emilio Pettoruti, Juan Batlle Planas, Carlos Mérida, Wifredo Lam and Roberto Matta, which also comprises part of the collection shared by the Ralli Museums.
Continuing the philosophy of the Ralli Collection, we would like to highlight the work of Joaquín Lalane as an example of the presence of young artists. This Uruguayan artist creates art within the Pop Surrealism movement, with works dating from 2016 forming part of the Collection.
The Ralli Museums
Ralli Museums are a private international non-profit organisation, dedicated to promoting the works of...
