Fundación Málaga, in its work to defend the heritage, financed the restoration work on the painting of the Cervantes Theatre: ‘Alegoría de Málaga con su Puerto, Estación de Ferrocarril, la Agricultura, Industria y Comercio’, large canvas of 16.5 x 9 m. (148.5 square meters) created by the painter Bernardo Ferrándiz in 1870, amounting to a total of 175,043.64 euros.

On March 17, 2004, the Provincial Commission of Historical Heritage of Málaga, in an ordinary session, gave its approval to the project of restoration of the painting of the ceiling of the patio of seats of the Cervantes Theatre, which allowed the first phase to be developed during that summer, with the performance scheduled from July 30 to September 14. The second stage of restoration was carried out in the summer of 2005.

The company responsible for developing the works ”Tekne, Conservación y Restauración” was chosen by Fundación Pública Teatro Municipal Miguel de Cervantes at a Contracting Committee meeting held on 23rd September 2003.

This action eliminated the different damages that the environmental, chemical, physical, biological and human factors had produced in this work, managing to restore its integrity to this canvas, contributing to enriching the historical-artistic qualities of this building declared Bien de Interés Cultural (Heritage of Cultural Interest).

This oil on canvas was painted by Bernardo Ferrándiz between May and September 1870. For his execution he had the collaboration of his disciples, among whom were Carreto, Matarredonda, Barco and Pérez. This work was preceded by a sketch, measuring 1.70 x 1.90 m., integrated into the collection of the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts, which was produced by another prominent painter in 19th century Málaga, Antonio Muñoz Degrain.

“Alegoría de Málaga con su Puerto, estación de Ferrocarril y la Agricultura, Industria y Comercio” had the task of shaping the economic, social and cultural boom that Málaga experienced in the nineteenth century, with its own promoter, the Cervantes Theatre, being the expression of this splendour. Moreover, the choice of a painter born outside Málaga, and therefore representing the most modern or «avant-garde» pictorial proposals, enhanced this objective.

This work and its author exemplify the degree of importance that pictorial art reached in 19th century Málaga, preferably in the second half of the 19th century, when, together with outstanding figures born in our city, other figures from different parts of Spain joined in. They found in the Malacian area the place where they could develop their artistic work, leaving us outstanding examples of this, such as Bernardo Ferrándiz and his “Alegoría de Málaga”.