José Muñoz (Spanish, 1929-2011)
Bodegón con ostras

Dimensions: 90 x 120 cm. (35 1/2 x 47 in.)

Private Collection, London

José Muñoz Artés was a Spanish painter from Alhama de Almería, celebrated for his realist still lifes and bodegón compositions rooted in Andalusian tradition. He studied at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios in Almería between 1949 and 1951, winning top prizes in drawing, and was profoundly influenced by the painter Moncada Calvache, with whom he shared a close personal and artistic relationship. Their collaboration and shared vision helped shape what became known as the “Escuela alhameña,” a regional school of painting grounded in classical realism. Muñoz Artés worked alongside other artists in the region, often participating in collective exhibitions, including a significant show in Madrid in 1988 honouring Nicolás Salmerón Alonso. His works, such as Uvas y granadas (1958), Chocolatera de cobre y frutas (1965), and Damasco Verde (1998), are held in both private and institutional collections, and in 2004, the municipality of Alhama de Almería hosted an anthological exhibition featuring over sixty of his paintings to commemorate fifty years of artistic contribution. His art remains a testament to technical skill, local heritage, and a lifelong dedication to the still-life genre.