164 - JOSÉ LUIS CHECA GALINDO (Valencia, 1950).

JOSÉ LUIS CHECA GALINDO (Valencia, 1950). “Valencian Landscape.” Oil on panel. The frame shows signs of wear. Measurements: 9 x 15.5 cm; 18.5 x 25.5 cm (frame). Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. A self-taught artist, Checa began his career with the Pont de Fusta group. In his early years, he won first prize in the Valencia Speed Painting Contest, and he has been exhibiting his work since 1973, when he made his debut at the Valencian Press Association. The following year, he held his first solo exhibition at the Hoyo Gallery in Valencia. He has been awarded the First National Gold Medal for Painting by Tabacalera (1981, 1982, and 1983) and the First Prize for Open-Air and Rapid Painting in Sot de Chera (1982 and 1984), and in 1985 he was featured in the Caja de Ahorros Book of Valencian Painters.