Baroque Painting in Spain: A Comprehensive Guide to Key Artists and Movements
1) BAROQUE PAINTING IN SPAIN:
The seventeenth century represents the peak period of Spanish painting.
It is interesting to note how the political and economic decline coincided with a surge of great artistic and spiritual transcendence. Spain then had two great artistic centers: Madrid and Seville, but there are other smaller nuclei resonance as Valencia, Córdoba, Granada, etc.. Of the three currents that are developed in the seventeenth century European painting (naturalism, classicism and Baroque decorative ) is the naturalist who achieved the highest circulation in our country because it coincides with the Spanish sensibility inclined to reality. The Baroque bulky recharging found no great response to the second half of the century in which the style is more dynamic, colorful and opulent. The church is the one responsible for the works to the artists, for this reason only mythological themes are developed, and were imported in return for royal palaces and noble residences. The most common themes are religious.
Virgin and Child are depicted, Immaculate, etc. The portrait is important for their quality and counts among its top artists to Velázquez.
The tavern also has given the naturalistic acceptance of our painters (Zurbarán)
. As for the composition, many artists do not show great interest in the movement of the figures but static forms and used in his compositions the simple juxtaposition of objects and people (Zurbarán). Others have great interest in movement and use the diagonal baroque. We must also emphasize the importance of Spanish artists give to the light and perspective.
SCHOOL OF VALENCIA:
Francisco Ribalta (1565-1628): His style incorporates elements of the art of Caravaggio showing great realism in his characters.
JOSÉ RIBERA (1591-1652):
One of the great masters of the central stage of the century. Their style of the dark, but the intensity of light and rich colors give a very personal character. He is very interested in the strict representation of reality and so his painting sometimes has extraordinary strength and drama. In his early work is dominated by a strong tenebrism. Over time you forget the dark background and explains her scenes with a light golden color and rich nuances. Although the predominant theme in his work is religious also interested in mythological subjects for their relationship with the Italian environment. Important Works: Jacob’s Dream, The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew.
ANDALUSIAN SCHOOL: Zurbarán (1598-1664):
One of the most important painters of the middle years of the century. Go with the flow of his paintings clearly illustrate the ideals of the Counter Reformation and the intense fervor of the Religious Orders. His own painting of the century realism, depicts his characters with great simplicity and not interested in detail.
Use a soft, clear tenebrism whose main mission is to define the volumes, which are marked by a precise drawing. His figures is that an almost sculptural. His compositions are simple, however, all attention is applied to faces and hands, they acquire a great expressive power. In all his characters can be seen a deep spirituality, rejecting violent feelings. Represented better than anyone the faces full of fervor of the saints and monks. Is an artist devoted almost exclusively to monastic themes, making numerous series for different orders. Among his works are the series held at the Convento de la Merced (Sevilla), Convent of San Buenaventura (Seville), La Cartuja de Jerez and Seville and the construction of the Monastery of Guadalupe (Fra Gonzalo de Illescas).
Granada. ALONSO CANO (1601-1667):
This is another great painters of Andalusia. Tends to the beauty ideal.
His painting is idealistic, refined, cultured, delicate colors, the images are tender and sweet. It must be considered above operator types as The Virgin and Child, the Pieta, the Immaculate, …
Valdes Leal (1622-1690):
His style is more concerned with the expression of beauty. Has superb skills as a colorist. It’s melodramatic and guided his painting to the unpleasant and macabre. Among his works he painted the Last Things for Charity Hospital in Seville.
MURILLO (1617-1682):
Born in Seville, was the quintessential painter of religious subjects who plays with fervor, sweet and colorful and dynamic style full Baroque own, but remains within a compositional balance. Embellish reality and makes nice, even on the same themes of misery and poverty. It is very exquisite technique and its models have a certain feminine air. Able to adapt to the prevailing taste and if in the previous period is represented heroizándolos saints, now starts the approach of religion to the people.
Murillo was essentially a painter of religious themes (The Holy Family with the bird, Adoration of the Shepherds) and He is very interested Marian themes as The Virgin and Child or The Immaculate. Children’s representations are important as the Divine Shepherd. In his painting of manners, the songs have a realistic treatment with a mischievous tone.
SCHOOL MADRID
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660): One of the most important figures of Spanish painting. Is between the realism of the painting of the 1 st half of the century and the baroque style of the latter. And of Seville, where he was born, and Madrid, where he makes his career. The large number of extant works allows us to know in great detail the evolution of his painting. Philip IV was a true patron of Velázquez. He worked at the Court this economic problems and prevent him from selling his paintings did not need to live. His paintings are made slowly, with plenty of touches for not being, pressed neither by time nor the money.
Stages:
• In its early years in Seville, is the natural direction tenebrists compositions using ocher and brown and tight technical . Attaches importance to the elements of still life and the individualization of the characters: The Old Woman Cooking Eggs, etc. The Water Seller of Seville. • First stage in Madrid. In 1623 established as a portrait painter in Madrid and began working for the Court. From this time his art evolves when he met great Italian painters, admiring their color and brightness. This will give impetus to the dark and began to paint mythological works: The Drunk. • The maturity of his style, calm and balanced, concerned about light and color began in the mid-30’s, after his first trip to Italy . His stay in Italy enriched his artistic conception emphasizing his interest in Venetian painting and adding to its elegance and compositional harmony characteristic of Italian art (the Forge of Vulcan). His technique in this period and after the turn of Italy is becoming more loose and light, seeking lighter shades and environmental. With these features painted works Breda The Surrender, also called The Spear, which is a historical fact and where the environment achieves great depth and transparency, balancing the figures and the media. It is important at this stage pictures, in which shinesilver tones as the name of Philip IV of Silver, and equestrian Felipe III, Margaret of Austria, Elisabeth of Bourbon-Conde Duque. His concern for the human condition is reflected in the representations of jesters and dwarves as in the Child of Vallecas. • On his second trip to Italy in 1649, Pope Innocent X painted, magnificent in its combination of white and crimson and capturing the personality of the model. His book The Mirror of Venus could be painted in Italy during these years. The subject is a female nude, exceptional in hesitant Spanish painting in the nude. • Final Period (1651-1660). Over the years the palette of Velasquez is completely liquid, disappearing the way and achieving unsurpassed quality. The paste is sometimes accumulates in quick brushstrokes of much effect, dilutes the contours and give the forms a mutable character almost impressionistic style. Achieve complete control of the aerial perspective, ie the representation of the depth function of the relationship between space-light, capturing the atmosphere between the bodies. His major works are now on Las Meninas and the Spinners who respond to this style and these qualities. In Las Meninas shows a remarkable mastery in the representation of space and light variations. Perfect composition makes this picture in one of the masterpieces of the history of painting. The Spinners is one of the great paintings of Velazquez and shows his deep knowledge of mythology and the representation of light and atmosphere.