This exhibition, which will be open to the public at the Chiclana Museum until 5 July, will feature 60 works by the Chiclana-born artist
The town’s mayor, José María Román, has opened the exhibition ‘Antonio García Gutiérrez. Bibliographic Exhibition’, which will be open to the public at the Chiclana Museum until 5 July. The event was also attended by the municipal delegate for Culture, Susana Rivas; the director of the Chiclana Museum, Jesús Romero; and representatives from various local organisations. With this exhibition, the Museum is joining in the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Chiclana being granted city status, focusing on one of its most illustrious figures, Antonio García Gutiérrez.
José María Román highlighted the importance of the figure that was García Gutiérrez, “who triumphed and was applauded by all audiences, and this exhibition emphasises the significance of the author”. Furthermore, he noted that this exhibition aims to convey to the public the power of history and its figures, in this case, Antonio García Gutiérrez.
The mayor expressed his gratitude for the contributions made by various people to make this exhibition possible, also thanking Jesús Romero and his team, as well as Cristóbal González, coordinator of the 150th Anniversary Committee.
Susana Rivas emphasised that, at the Chiclana Museum, “we are always working to highlight the work of García Gutiérrez, because he is largely unknown to the general public. We must highlight all the work he did, which is why we always dedicate one of our exhibitions to him”.
Aurora Alcántara, president of Taetro, noted that García Gutiérrez “has always been a local figure who deserved recognition. This year we will once again organise a walking tour named after him, with the aim of raising his profile to mark the 150th anniversary, and we will continue to celebrate his birthday. He was a courageous man who set out into the world and knew how to make a living for himself”.
José Raya, representative of the Chiclana Cultural Association, noted that “the Cultural Association has always paid close attention to the figure of García Gutiérrez. Now all that remains is for him to be recognised in educational texts, because he has never been included in the curriculum”.
This exhibition, the most extensive ever open to the public, features 60 printed works by the author, including old and first editions published during the poet’s lifetime, accompanied by a range of complementary items such as period newspapers and books discussing the author or his works.
Visitors will also be able to view sheet music relating to some of his works, facsimile reproductions of various documents—including the autograph manuscript of some of his verses—portraits, engravings, paintings and photographs in which the passage of time and life is reflected on the poet’s face, as well as the model of the García Gutiérrez Theatre, recently donated to the Museum and added to its collection.
His poetry, his dramas, his comedies, his zarzuelas, his translations… from that early work ‘Un baile en la casa de Abrantes’, published in 1834, two years before the overwhelming success of ‘El Trovador’, right up to his final works a year before his death.
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