Experience "Madrid en su Tinta": José Robledano's Pioneering Ink Drawings and Illustrations Exhibition

The ABC Museum presents the first anthological exhibition of José Robledano, an artist who consistently focused on the environments and characters of Madrid, his native city. The exhibition showcases his prolific career as a painter, humorist, illustrator, and pioneer of Spanish comics.

The ABC Museum is hosting the inaugural comprehensive exhibition dedicated to José Robledano (1884–1974), an artist whose life and work were deeply rooted in Madrid. Robledano's principal subjects were the vibrant street life and distinct characters of the city where he was born, lived, and died. His extensive career encompassed painting, humor, illustration, comic strips, writing, acting, theatrical set design, and drawing instruction, achieving particular popularity in the first third of the 20th century. His artistic journey began in 1904 with a drawing published in 'Arte y Sport,' a piece now featured in the exhibition and held by the Museum of the History of Madrid. Robledano balanced his illustration work with painting, earning accolades at the National Fine Arts Exhibitions in 1904 and 1916. He is also recognized as a significant pioneer of Spanish comics for his 1910-1911 series "_El suero mágico_," and particularly for his virtuosity in creating 'aleluyas,' a narrative form popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. His contributions to the newspapers 'El Sol' and 'La Voz,' alongside contemporaries like Luis Bagaría and Francisco Sancha, cemented his readership. His keen observations of Madrid's street types and locales, and the creation of the beloved character Cayetano in 1930, resonated deeply with the public. Robledano's political engagement with socialism during the Second Republic infused his work with a militant and propagandistic edge for the left, continued in the newspaper 'Claridad.' Despite facing a death sentence after the Civil War, his graphic work from his four years of imprisonment offers a poignant testament to his resilience, with many of these drawings now on display thanks to his wife. The subsequent years, marked by survival and a period working for 'ABC' and on advertising commissions for laboratories and official bodies, are also represented. This exhibition, curated by Felipe Hernández Cava, draws from the Museo ABC's collection, supplemented by works loaned from the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Madrid, the Museo de Historia de Madrid, the Pablo Iglesias Foundation, and private collections, aiming to provide the most accurate portrayal of Robledano's extensive career.

Admission is free. Group visits require prior reservation via email to [email protected], with a maximum of 20 people per group. Guided tours for the general public are free but require advance booking through MIRARTE by phone or email. General museum hours vary by season, with August being closed.