84 - FRANCISCO VALENCIA SOLER (Valencia, 1936–2023)

FRANCISCO VALENCIA SOLER (Valencia, 1936–2023) Untitled. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 46 x 61 cm; 72 x 81 cm (frame). Francisco Valencia Soler was a Spanish painter closely associated with the Valencian town of Alzira, where he spent much of his artistic career. From a very young age, he showed an interest in painting and began his professional career at the company Cartonajes Suñer, where he initially worked as a draftsman and, beginning in 1965, became part of its art department, alongside the painters Vicente Sanz Castellanos and Antonio Caballer Pardenillas. An admirer of Ismael Blat, whom he considered his mentor, he decided in 1973 to leave the company to devote himself fully to painting, with the support of the businessman and patron Luis Suñer. His work is characterized by a marked realism and attention to detail. He primarily focused on portraiture, landscapes, floral compositions, and still lifes, with a special emphasis on depicting everyday scenes and natural settings. His work was showcased through exhibitions in galleries across Spain and Europe, as well as in countries such as Mexico, Panama, Canada, and Germany. In his later years, he lived in La Alberca (Salamanca) and Palencia before returning to Alzira. In March 2023, the Museu Municipal d'Alzira (MUMA) dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him that traced his artistic career.