Located inside a 16th-century Renaissance building that once served as a palace and a hospital for the poor is the Museo del Grabado, or the Museum of Spanish Contemporary Engravings. It holds a repository of thousands of contemporary prints, engravings and graphic art. Devote at least a couple of hours to studying the rich variety works on show, some of which was produced by Spain’s most important artists.
Explore exhibition halls filled with pieces that are periodically replaced with others from the museum's inventory. See works produced with a variety of techniques such as etching, lithography, stenciling, engraving and digital printing. Among the famous names of Spanish art that are exhibited here are Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Antoni Tapies. While most of the works are contemporary, some pieces date back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Contemplate prints in several styles including realism, abstract and surrealism. Peruse pieces by Rafael Solbes and Manolo Valdés whose work was critical of Francisco Franco, the military dictator who ruled Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975.
Other exhibits that provide insights into the country's history are posters from the Second Spanish Republic. It started when King Alfonso XIII was overthrown in 1931 and replaced by a democratic government that lasted until 1939. There are also works that are tributes to poets, writers and politicians who were executed or who suffered during the Spanish Civil War during the second half of the 1930s.
Look at the collection of books which are artistic creations by numerous artists using techniques such as lithography and silk-screen printing.
Find the Museo del Grabado in the pedestrianized part of Marbella's Old Town, a short walk from the Plaza de Los Naranjos. If you’re driving, you can park for a fee in nearby garages. The museum is open every day except Sundays and public holidays. Admission charges apply, with discounts for students. Retired persons and children get in for free.
