The IVCR+I restores two works in Villajoyosa and uncovers new interesting facts

On 24 February 2023, Vilamuseu received the donation of a large oil painting on canvas from Rosa Climent Server, widow of José Payá Nicolau, official chronicler of Villajoyosa.
 
The painting, measuring 157 x 104 cm, was by José Marced Furió (1889-1967), a painter from Villajoyosa and one of the leading Alicante painters of the first half of the 20th century. The unframed work depicted a student sitting at a table covered with books. The painting was very dirty, with deformations and creases in the canvas, and needed restoration. Vilamuseu contacted the Valencian Institute of Conservation, Restoration and Research (IVCR+i) to assess the possibility of restoring it at its facilities in Valencia.
 
Along with this work, a request was also made to restore a 1929 map of Vila Joiosa by Juan Vidal Ramos, preserved in the Municipal Archive. Vidal is one of the leading Alicante architects of the 20th century, responsible for iconic buildings in Alicante, such as the Provincial Council.
 
The map is drawn in ink on very fine cotton fabric with starch. The high sensitivity of these materials, combined with the coastal climate, caused deformations and creases that led to some tears and breaks, as well as some small missing pieces due to insect damage.
 
Following the visit by IVCR+i technicians, the transfer and restoration at its headquarters in Valencia was approved, where Vilamuseu deposited them on 30 November 2023, to be returned to Villajoyosa in July 2025 once restored. The restoration was carried out at this institution because they are specialists in this type of work and have the appropriate facilities for this type of piece.
 
The restoration of both works has led to some curious discoveries. According to the IVCR+i, the painting of ‘the student’ could represent the Alicante artist and friend of José Marced, Gastón Castelló, with whom he worked on the Alicante bonfires between 1928 and 1932. In addition, this painting underwent an X-ray study which confirmed that underneath the current portrait there was a previous one, also of a man, perhaps a self-portrait of José Marced Furió himself. There are also elements that have been repainted in a kind of ‘repentance’.
 
In the case of the map, it turned out to be larger than it appeared, as it had hidden parts that had been folded into the frame, approximately 10 cm on each side. These parts have been recovered, along with the names of the places that appear on them.