The baroque art in the spanish monarchy

• The XVII th century remained in history as the “Siglo de Oro” in

the spanish art.

• The Spanish Baroque was different from the rest of Europe.

•Philip II was really conservative and didn t want that the

counter-reformative ideas corrupt the catholic faith.

• The Baroque Art finally entered in the Iberian Peninsula with

“escurialense” influence.

• The art was depleted because of the wrong political and

economical administration.

• It is surprising that although all these disadvantages, the arts at

this time were so brightful.

- During this period a lot of “plazas mayores”, palaces and religious constructions.

- Used of poor materials.

- It was a progresive developement of the “ornamentacion”.

-During this period the style that influenced most in the architecture was the herrerian

Style and the transition of the new ways of architecture from Italy.

- The most famouses architects of this period were:

- Juan Gomez de Mora: The townhall of Madrid andthe “plaza mayor” of Madrid

- Alonso Carbonell: Exterior afferes ministry.

During this period the style that influenced most was the “churrigueresco” style of

Jose de Churriguera. Also the decoration is mora marked and developed.

The most important architects of this period are:

- José Benito de Churriguera: Altarpiece of the convent of Saint Esteban.

- Pedro de Rivera: Hospicon of Saint Fernando.

- Alonso Cano: Facade of the cathidral of Granada.

During this period they take the decorative exuberance to the limit, tjhis was called

rococo.

There are not changes in the composition of the architecture but the are changes in

the decoration inside the architecture.

-The most important architects during this period are:

- Fernando de casas y Novoa: facade of the Obradoiro of the cathedral of

Santiago.

- Narciso Tome: Transparent of the Cathedral of Toledo.

- Jaime Bort: Cathedral of Murcia.

SCULPTURE:

THE IMAGERY

GENERAL FEATURES

Religious themes. Mythological and secular themes absent.

The material used is wood. Stewtechnique was abandoned.

Realism. Thanks to the inserts. Theycreate images of clothing.

Expression of feelings in the figures.

Purpose: to suggest profound religiousemotion with the spirit of the CatholicCounter-Reformation.

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Andalusian School. Classical Realism: Juan Martínez Montañés.

2. Castilian School. Violentand pathetic realism: Gregorio Fernández.

3. Murcia: Francisco Saltillo.

ANDALUSIAN SCHOOL

Classic and serene realism.

Stew technique.

Two creative centers: Sevilla, with

Juan Martínez Montañés and Juan de

Mesa, and Granada with Alonso Cano

and Pedro de Mena.

JUAN MARTÍNEZ MONTAÑÉS

Serenity and classic Castilian against

dramatic pathos.

Linked in with the Renaissance

tradition.

Perfect knowledge of the nude. Child

sculpture creator.

CRISTO DE LA CLEMENCIA

Christ is still alive, itavoids exaggeration.

Realistic but idealizedimage, serenity.

Anatomical model issmooth and balanced. More exquisit.

LA INMACULADA

Idealized Virgin.

Pious position.

Stew technique.

JUAN DE MESA

Pupil of Martínez Montañés.

Greater drama and violence at work.

Cristo de la Buena

Muerte

ALONSO CANO

Disciple of Montañés.

Expression and classicism of the form.

Taste for stylization and simplification.

Linked to the Renaissance.

Evolution from the serenity of Montañés

to the sensitivity prior to Rococó.

LA INMACULADA

CONCEPCIÓN

Youthful face,

pious attitude.

Verticality,

small sice.

PEDRO DE MENA

Mystical and dramatic representations.

Triumph of the feelings.

San Francisco de Asís Magdalena Penitente Ecce Homo

CASTILIAN SCHOOL

Violent realism.

It enhances the pain and pathos.

The best exponent: Gregorio

Fernández.

GREGORIO FERNÁNDEZ

LA MUERTE DE CRISTO:

Violent realism.

Anatomicalperfection of bodies.

ECCE

HOMO:

Strong anatomicalmodeling figures.

LA PIEDAD

The central group is composed of

diagonal: the Virgin’s right arm raised

in sorrow, while her left hand holds

firmly the Son, who rests on his lap.

Both figures are treated with beauty

and elegance, while the two thieves

are superb anatomical studies.

La Piedad

MURCIA

Fashion of the cribs, the manages of

Nápoles.

Sweetness and elegance with a

predominance of pastel colours.

FRANCISCO SALZILLO

Transition between Baroque and Rococó.

Delicated and feminine sensitivity, fragilebeauty.

Taste for motion and color.

Expressive force.

LA ORACIÓN EN EL HUERTO

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• “ Mecenazgo” of the Court and Church.

• Absence of the heroic and sizes larger than the natural ones.

They prefered a balance naturalism, a simple composition and no

theatrical or scenographical.

• Predominance of the religious themes, with an ascetic or mystical

expression, and treated with simplicity and credibility.

• Absence of sensuality.

• Influence of the realism and tenebrism of italian origin.

• Other themes are: the portrait, the mythology, the “bodegon”,

specially in Zurbarán and Sánchez Cotán, Velázquez incorporated

the landscapes, the pagan fable and the historical genre.

• There are three artistic sources: Valencia (Ribera y Ribalta),

Sevilla (Zurbarán, Murillo y Valdés Leal) and Madrid (Velázquez).

• The best exponent of the current spanish tenebrista

was Jose Ribera who was born in Jativa (Valencia) in 1611.

• He was established in Italy, received the nickname of “spagnoleti”,

nevermore would return to Spain, settling in Naples in 1616.

• His work flourishes in Italy.

• He was looking for simple works with religious themes, portrait or

mythological to exalt the monarchy.

• He was the best representative of the tenebrism.

• His style was care and natural.

• It was painted in

1630.

• It is one of the best

works of Rivera.

• This work represent

imbalance, because in

the left side of

the picture we can

see strength, and in

the right, weakness.

• It is a work with great

realism and

expressiveness.

In his works also showed the ugly and deformed with dignity

and realism:

•Other important works

highlighted by the beauty

of women are :

• “La Virgen en la Inmaculada”

(1635), “el triunfo de María

Magdalena” (1636), and

some holy ones as Santa

Inés (1641).

•These works are from the most

crucial period of his artistic

career.

•From the decade of the 40s, it

exceeds the starting tenebrismo.

• Born in Fuente de Cantos, he moved to Sevilla in 1614, forming in

the workshop of Pedro Diaz de Villanueva.

• He is the main representative of the religious themes.

• His work is very abundant, and we can differentiate two periods:

a first period in which there is a presence of tenebrism and

spiritualism; and a second period from mid century with soft and

delicate forms.

•This period coincides with a crisis in the career of Zurbarán, which

also coincides with the climax of Murillo.

• “La vision de San Pedro

De Nolasco” was

painted in 1628.

• The most known works of Zurbaran are the saints of the Religious

Orders, which gives to his figures a great naturalist and a religious

spirit.

• His conventual works can be divided in three series:

(1638-1645).

(Since 1637)

• Other important theme are the paingtings of “Santas y Mátires”

where the saints or Martyrs are dressed like great ladies.

•And the other one important theme is

“Naturaleza Muerta”, where the

objects are in a black backgrownd

to project them. This was a typical

paint, the “bodegones”.

• Other of his themes was the historical themes:

• Borned in Sevilla, where he lived most of his life.

• He began his training for ten years with Juan del Castillo, but

was influenced by Zurbarán and Ribera. The influence

of these teachers is evident in his early works.

• Is one of the most popular painters in and out of Spain.

• His painting was delicate and soft.

• Murillo didn t paint saints, his painting is closer to the familiar,

to the intimate.

• This work has a tenebrist

tendency

• Is a natural and tender

domestic scene.

• The work is composed of

two pyramidal structures.

• This work has also a

tenebrist tendendency and

is a natural domestic

scene, where we see the

child with more light than

the rest of the work.

• In a lot of his works, he painted

a virgin dressed in white which

represents the purity of the

Virgen Maria.

• Another common element on his

works was the number of angels.

• The blue mantle represents the

eternity.

These are two examples of the naturalness of his works,

representing daily scenes.

DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y VELÁZQUEZ

(1599-1660)

Two stages:

1. Formation stage (1617-1622)

2. Mature stage (1623-1660)

FORMATION STAGE:

The characteristics of this period are the tenebrism, with

strong contrasts between lights and shadows, predominance

of earthy colours, and simplicity in the composition.

Old woman frying eggs1618 National Gallery of Scotland,

Edinburgh

MATURE STAGE:

This period can also be subdivided in three:

• 1623-1631: First “madrileña” stage and first trip to Italy:

he travelled to the Court and focused his in paintings in the

portrait genre.

These portraits were

characterized by:

simplicity in the composition

realism

elegance

statism

Philip IV

The Triumph of Bacchus

MEETING WITH THE FLEMISH ARTIST RUBENS

His meeting with Rubens orientated his paintings to the humanism and

mythology. Rubens encouraged him to study in Italy.

The main

characteristic of

his myttholigic

painting is it’s

burlesque and

ironic conception.

First trip to Italy (1629-1631)

During his first trip to Italy he will see all the romans and venetians

renaissance painters’ works.

His paintings will have the italian painters’influence.

The forge of Vulcan

• 1631-1648: Second “madrileña” stage:

When he returned form Italy his style became softer and more colorful.

The italian influence made his drawing became looser, he started using

the aerial perspective. We can find:

Religious paintings Portraits:

The Conde-duque de Olivares on horsebackChrist on the cross

Jesters portraits

Pablo de Valladolid

The Surrender of Breda (The Lances) 1635 Museo del Prado, Madrid

• 1648-1660: Second trip to Italy and thrid “madrileña” stage

His second trip to Italy was between 1649 and 1651. Velázquez had the

royal comission of acquiring paintings and antiquities for the hispanic royal

galeries.

In this period, he improved

the technique, he captured the

aerial perspective, he used less

amount of pictorical paste in his

loose brushstroke and he took

care of the ambience and details.

The pavilion

Ariadna in the Medicci garden

in Rome

Museo del Prado,

Madrid

The Rokeby Venus- National Gallery, London

• The last “madrileña” stage and the culmination of Velázquez:

Veláquez returned to the Court and to Madrid in 1651 after

three years in Italy. This last stage is the stylistic culmination

of the sevillian master.

From this period belong some

portraits as:

La reina Doña Mariana

de AustriaMuseo del Prado, Madrid

Infante Felipe PrósperoKunsthistorisches Museum,

Vienna

1656

Las Meninas

The Spinners or Fable of Arachne (1657)