ID-2242-1 Spanish & Flemish Baroque

What regions does this unit cover?

Spanish Baroque and Flemish Baroque art

What century does Baroque art primarily belong to?

The 17th century

What artistic qualities continue from Italian Baroque into Spain and Flanders?

Melodrama, dynamism, theatricality

Who was the leading Spanish Baroque painter?

Diego Velázquez

What was Velázquez’s official role?

Court painter to the Spanish king

How did Velázquez encounter Caravaggio’s influence?

He traveled to Italy and studied Caravaggio’s work

Who painted Water Carrier of Seville?

Diego Velázquez

When was Water Carrier of Seville painted?

1619

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

Water Carrier of Seville

Why is Water Carrier of Seville considered Caravaggesque?

Tenebroso lighting and shallow foreground space

What is tenebroso?

Dramatic contrast between intense light and deep shadow

What profession is depicted in Water Carrier of Seville?

A water seller

What symbolic meaning do the clay vessels have?

They represent earthy human nature

What does the glass vessel symbolize?

Clarity, wisdom, or enlightenment

How is dynamism subtly shown in Water Carrier of Seville?

Dripping water and light reflections

What viewer’s vantage point is used?

Low vantage point

What type of composition does Water Carrier of Seville use?

Symmetrical

How does overlapping function in the painting?

It connects figures at a pivotal moment

Who painted The Drinkers?

Diego Velázquez

When was The Drinkers painted?

1628

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

The Drinkers

Who is the mythological figure in The Drinkers?

Bacchus

What does Bacchus represent?

Wine, revelry, and intoxication

Why is The Drinkers melodramatic?

Mythological figures appear among ordinary people

What division exists within the composition?

Mythological figures on one side, real figures on the other

What is image quotation in The Drinkers?

Reference to Caravaggio’s Bacchus

What visual element shows dynamism in The Drinkers?

Rippling wine in the glass

Who painted Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor)?

Diego Velázquez

When was Las Meninas painted?

1656

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

Las Meninas

Who is the central figure in Las Meninas?

The Spanish princess (Infanta Margarita)

Who appears reflected in the mirror?

The king and queen of Spain

What is the primary melodramatic moment in Las Meninas?

The monarchs entering the room

How does the mirror function symbolically?

It shows reflected reality rather than direct sight

What are painterly brushstrokes?

Visible, textured brushstrokes

How are painterly brushstrokes used in Las Meninas?

To depict light and reflection

What spatial innovation appears in Las Meninas?

Expanded space with foreground, middle ground, and background

What viewer’s vantage point is used in Las Meninas?

Parallel

Who painted The Spinners?

Diego Velázquez

When was The Spinners painted?

1657

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

The Spinners

What setting is depicted in The Spinners?

A royal tapestry workshop

What kind of labor is shown?

Tapestry making

What allegorical story appears in The Spinners?

The fable of Arachne

Who is Arachne?

A mortal weaver punished by Minerva

What moral lesson does the allegory convey?

Pride (hubris) leads to punishment

What is allegory?

A symbolic story with a moral meaning

How is The Spinners a story within a story?

Contemporary workers in foreground, myth in background

Who painted Still-Life (1602)?

Juan Sánchez Cotán

When was Still-Life painted?

1602

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

Still-Life

What genre is Still-Life?

Still-life

What is a still-life?

Painted arrangements of inanimate objects

How is melodrama shown in Cotán’s still-life?

Vegetables arranged like celestial forms

What lighting technique is used?

Tenebroso

What region is associated with Flemish Baroque?

Flanders (modern Belgium)

Who is the leading Flemish Baroque painter?

Peter Paul Rubens

What dual role did Rubens hold?

Painter and diplomat

Who painted Elevation of the Cross?

Peter Paul Rubens

When was Elevation of the Cross painted?

1610

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

Elevation of the Cross

What biblical event does Elevation of the Cross depict?

The raising of Christ’s cross

Why is the scene melodramatic?

It shows a precarious, pivotal moment

What compositional device dominates Rubens’ work?

Diagonals

Why are diagonals important?

They imply movement and dynamism

What viewer’s vantage point is used in Elevation of the Cross?

Low vantage point

What does the low vantage point suggest?

Human inferiority and awe

Who painted Arrival of Marie de Medici?

Peter Paul Rubens

When was Arrival of Marie de Medici painted?

1625

What is the name of this painting? [photo provided]

Arrival of Marie de Medici

Who is Marie de Medici?

Queen of France

What moment does the painting depict?

Her arrival in France for marriage

What allegorical figures accompany her?

Sea gods and wind gods

What do the mythical figures symbolize?

Divine protection and favor

How is dynamism shown in Arrival of Marie de Medici?

Churning water, flowing drapery, diagonals

What common Baroque feature unites Spanish and Flemish painting?

Theatrical storytelling through melodrama and dynamism