Art and History of Madrid Exam II

Expulsion of the Moriscos at the Port of Denia by Vicente Mostre, 1613, Baroque art

Francisco Rizi, Auto-da-fe in the Plaza of Madrid, 1683, oil on canvas, Prado Museum.

• Charles II, his queen and the queen mother attending the auto-de-fe.

• Baroque.

Peter Paul Rubens, Duke of Lerma, 1603. Prado Museum.

• Favorite royal counselor.

• King’s personal representative.

Peter Paul Rubens, The Judgement of Paris, 1639, Prado Museum.

• Not a strong vanishing point, no focal point.

• Idealism.

• Busy background.

• Lighting.

• Different textures, fabrics, armor.

• Moment frozen in time, action.

Royal Monastery of La Encarnación, early 17th century.

• One relief, two coat of arms, church founded by Spanish kings

• Round arches, pediments

• Anti-classicist element: rounded pediment

• Spheres on top, similar to El Escorial: Herrerian architecture, architect: Juan de Herrera

• Founded by Queen Margaret of Austria to “celebrate” Philip III expulsion of the Moriscos

• Adjacent to the Real Alcazar with direct access through a pass way

Plaza Mayor de Madrid.

• Remodeled in 1760 after many fires, but originally conceived under Philip II (Juan de Herrera) and built under Philip III (Gomez de Mora).

• Slate on roof

• Round arch

• Spheres on top of spires

José Ribera, St. Andrew, 1631

• Dies by cruxifixction, X shape

• Head of fish, fisherman before disciple

• Painterly technique, can tell direction by brush texture

• Realism, veins, bone structure, gray hair

Bartolomé Murillo, The Inmaculate Conception, c. 1660-65, oil on canvas, Prado Museum.

• Mary was conceived without sin, her birth was a miracle, not in Bible but Spanish people believed, used art to popularize this idea, propaganda

• Mary is dressed in white, white flowers, light makes her floating

• Crescent moon, associated with the immaculate conception, from story in Bible

Juan Sanchez Cotán, Still Life with Game Fowl, fruit and Vegetables, 1602, oil on canvas, Prado Museum.

• Visual parallel with mystic literature, Santa Teresa’s especially

• “Still life” in Spanish is Bodegon, has religious connotations

Juan Sánchez Cotán, Still Life with Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber, c. 1602, Fine Arts Museum in San Diego

• Different interpretations, warning against gluttony

• Shows off wealth during moment of crisis, others are starving, not really in Spain but other European countries

• Santa Teresa started ideology that God is everywhere

• Artists using illusionism, objects shown on edge of table or window to show off

Claudio Coello, The Adoration of the Holy Host, Sacristy of El Escorial, 1685-1690.

• Baroque art

• Sacristy of El Escorial, action takes place

• Unity of the monarchy and the church

• Scene of workshop and group portrait

• Linear perspective

• People attending mass, communion

• Charles II, kneeling, last Hapsburg in Spain, dies without heir, lots of health problems, King can only kneel down in front of God

• Keeling in front of relic, the host, found in Germany, vandalized Eucharist located behind painting, once a year it can be seen

• Decoration, theatricality, painting as a curtain, bronze and tortoise shell materials, movement

• Art symbolizes connection between church and crown

• Philip VI, first king to choose own wife

Velázquez, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, 1618, National Gallery of London

• Scene from the Bible and genre painting

• Earthly tones / color palette

• One sister making food, other sister listening to Christ which is the right thing to do

• Creating double image, mixing genres, still life and religion

• Velázquez 19 years old

• Jesus in the background, food in foreground, anti-classical

Velázquez, The Adoration of the Magi, 1619, Prado Museum

• Married, had daughter, used wife and daughter as models

• Three wise men visiting Jesus and bringing gifts

• Includes more colors yet dark palette

• Two sources of light from left and sunrise

• Heaviness of fabric

• Awkward composition, crowded, people not interacting with each other

Velázquez, The Triumph of Bacchus, 1628-29

• One of Velázquez’s first paintings in Madrid

• Velázquez brought to royal palace to work for king, subject matters change, surrounded by royal palace artwork (Titian, Ruben), learning from the masters

• Figure is paler, younger, wearing different (no) clothes, light on him, not as thin

• Other figures dressed as contemporary figures

• Brings commoners into mythology, not just for wealthy, giving people who are not usually represented a voice while working for the court

Velázquez, Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan, 1630.

• Three dimensional, feels like you can walk through

• Can read emotions, shock

• Saint is off centered

• Luminous (halo, fire, window)

• Blacksmiths, muscular and fit, idealism, same proportions, studying classical sculptures

• Created after traveling to Italy for first time, studied Renaissance art and classical sculptures

• Hermes (Mercury) messenger of the Gods, talking to Vulcan (one of 12 main Gods, son of Zeus, result of affair, Zeus punished Aphrodite to marry Vulcan).

• Hermes is telling Vulcan that Aphrodite is having an affair with Aries

• Velázquez technique (painterly) will be greatly associated with the school

Velázquez, The Gardens of the Medici Gardens -both- 1630.

• Velázquez did not have freedom to create whatever he wanted

• Took care of party decorations, bought art in Italy because the king wanted to expand his collection

• Two paintings, a pair, tiny

• Kind of work he did without a commission

• Among the first landscapes in the Spanish paintings

• Figures are just occupying space, don’t tell / add to story

• Interest in color and light, representing the outdoors

Velázquez, Christ Crucified, 1632.

• Convent commission, church in Madrid

• Dark background, attention on figure

• Three dimensional, feels like sculpture

• Hebrew, Greek, and Latin written

• Four nails instead of three, his teacher wrote about using four nails because it looks more classical, three creates a different composition, people argued

• Jesus’ face isn’t well defined

• Goya paints similar work, wanted to please commissioner

Velázquez, Portrait of Martínez Montañés, 1635.

• A portrait of an artist, sculpture

• Came to Madrid to create sculpture of Philip III

• Wearing fancy outfit, like a suit in todays time

• Background is very neutral

• Similar to painting of Titian, self-portrait (fancy clothing, paintbrush in hand)

Velázquez, Portrait of Calabacillas, 1635-39

• Someone the royal family hired for entertainment or administrative work

• A physical or intellectual characteristic, entertainers (dwarfism)

• Calabacillas: little pumpkin, has intellectual disability

• Taking care of people who wouldn’t have an easy life outside the castle

Velázquez, Portrait of Pablo de Valladolid, ca. 1635

• No background, painted space by shadow

• Inspired by impressionists

• Someone the royal family hired for entertainment or administrative work

• A physical characteristic, entertainer (taller, fatter)

• Taking care of people who wouldn’t have an easy life outside the castle

• Actor, stance

Velázquez, The Surrender of Breda, 1634-35.

• Anti-classical, back of horse and man

• No blood, artificial representation of war

• Whoever won battle will be on a horse, person who lost in lower position

• Propaganda piece to remember battle and Spaniards behaved like Christians, did the right thing

Velázquez, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) — My Girls, 1656

• Group portrait, two ladies in waiting taking care of Princess Margaret, self portrait of Velázquez, two adults with dwarfism, two mentors of princess, one is widow, butler opening door for king

• In royal palace

• Might be painting princess, painting the painting we are looking at

• Mirror of royal couple, Philip IV

• How he got himself in portrait with royal family, others who have been invisible

• Viewer has an active role, modern, not propaganda

• Margaret, Infanta (daughter of king, won’t inherit the throne)

• Breaking protocol

• Painted an idealized version of himself, nobleman

• Red cross, highest nobility / after king: old Christian, enough money to survive

• Color, use of light, perfect harmony

• Use of space, can walk among figures

• Inspired Picasso style painting

Velázquez, The Fable of Arachne, 1655-60.

• Women spinning wool in foreground

• In background, Athena with helmet, telling story of Arachne

• Paying tribute to Rubens and Titian mythology artwork, recognizing masters and continuing tradition, Zeus transformed into bull, taking Europe

• Movement of wheel

• Influence of Michelangelo, posture

• Possibly destroyed in fire, needed addition, or unfinished (Women’s faces blurred)

Royal Palace

• Neoclassical outside

• Geometry, repetitive

• Rooms have been remodeled at different times

• Philip V brought Italian architects

• Originally Alcazar, burned down in 1734 Christmas Eve, rebuilding took two decades

Royal Academy of Fine Arts

• Opened mid 18th century

• King can decide what is taught

• Students have better education, more students and instructors

• Instructors for anatomy, color, composition, etc.

• Technically superior

• Lacked originality, one way to be artist, “proper” art

• History painting (past history, present message) encouraged

• Handed out medals to history paintings, art needs to teach people

Prado Museum, 1785-1808, architect Juan de Villanueva

• Opened in 1819

• Originally supposed to be a natural history museum

• Round arches, proportions, columns, Roman

• Classical columns, repetition of same motifs, proportions and balances, the idea of making the museum a place to study

• Founded by Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza, husband King Ferdinand VII, second wife and niece of him, granddaughter of Charles IV, exceptional art promoter, convinced Ferdinand VII to show the royal collection to the public

• Botanical gardens located nearby

• Neoclassicism

Goya, Christ Crucified, 1780, Prado Museum

• Presented to the Academy as his entry work

• Neoclassical / Rococo style

• Spanish iconography

• Soft modeling using sfumato

Goya, Dance on the Riverbanks of the Manzanares River, 1778

• Past times and amusements of Madrilenians

• Very nicely dressed, not high people, Sunday clothes

Goya, The Crockery Vendor, 1778

• September fair

• Cartoon for the bed chamber of the Princess of Asturias

• Important event because of clothing, person from Valencia because of shoes

• Complex narrative (outside the frame)

• Class division

• Old lady and off canvas gesture are a reference to prostitution

Goya, The Wedding, 1791-92

• For Charles IV’s office

• Cynical outlook

• Satyrical view of society

• Moratín “Little Maidens consent” (1801) Novel criticized women for getting married to first person who asks

• Goya has been appointed court painter in 1789 (“Principal Painter of the King” in 1799) and was already the official portraist of Madrid’s society

• Groom related to guy in green

• Priest smiling, got money

• People gossiping

• Goya interested in gender roles, gender sterotypes

Goya, The Inquisition Tribunal, 1812, Royal Academy of Fine Arts

Goya, Procession of Flagellants, 1812, Royal Academy of Fine Arts

Goya, The Madhouse, 1812, Royal Academy of Fine Arts

Goya, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, 1799

• “Los Caprichos” 1799: The censorship of human errors and vices

• Main subjects: The decline of reason, anticlericalism, superstition

Goya, The Family of Charles IV, 1800

• Highlighting Spanishness of Royal Family because cousins in France were getting executed due to the French Revolution.

• Did not paint everyone together, spent summer painting individual portraits. Some people passed during this creation but are included in the group portrait.

• Reference to Hercules in left painting, Maria Lucia is the strong one, foreigner, good mother, raising children, does not have a good reputation because she is having an affair.

• Ferdinand VII future king, forced parents to abdicate, ends up abandoning country and takes the royal guard, appointed brother Joseph I as new King of Spain.

• People felt abandoned.

• Lady looking away did not exist, future wife to Ferdinand VII

Goya, Second of May, 1814

Goya, Third of May, 1814

• Everyone is a victim of the war

• Victims show emotions, soldiers show nothing, can’t see faces

• White and yellow colors of the Vatican

• Arms up like cruxifixction, marks in palms of hands

Goya, Saturn Devouring his Son, 1820-23

• Black painting

• Making reference to Saturn, prophecy that son will dethrone him

• Chronos in Greek, time, no one is immortal, can’t escape prophecy

• Reference to Goya’s age, passing of time, King of Spain, Napoleon, how men treat women, wife having miscarriages

Goya Witches Sabbath, 1820-23

• Women getting together means witches

• Believed in witches, women living alone, not without men supervision

• “[Black paintings] are a romantic model for the romantics; an impressionist for the impressionists; Goya leader became an expressionist for the expressionists and a forerunner of surrealism for the surrealists.” —Nigel Glendinning

• Modern painter

• Distorted faces, superstitious

Goya, Half-Drowned Dog, 1820-23

• Black painting

• Most human gaze, other paintings show monsters

• Not popular to idealize animals / dogs at this time, modern thinking

Pascual Colomer, Spanish Congress, Mid 19th century,

• Neoclassical style to show power, even in the US

• Democracy born in Athens

• Pure, simple, stable architecture provides a clear ideology

Alberto del Palacio, Atocha Station, 1889

• Built with iron and glass

• Outskirts of city

Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, Glass Palace, 1887

• Colonial exhibition

• Wanted to build structure that would function as a greenhouse, brought plants from Philippines (and people), showcased in building

• In Retiro park

• Used iron and glass, neogothic atmosphere (round arches, thin columns, pointed arches, base made out of brick, tiles Islamic influence)

• Art exhibitions now

Ponciano Ponzano, 1864, Pediment of the Congress

• Marble

• Allegories

• Symbols of abstract concepts (progress, justice)

• Not mythological sculptures

• Proportions, idealized

José de Madrazo, Death of Viriatus, 1808, Prado Museum

• Resistance of the Iberians against Roman domination

• Patriotic spirit (French invasion)

• Contained dramatic influence of classical sculpture

• Vibrant colors, Roman subjects, technique is polished, makes painting neoclassicism

• History painting, past is used as a metaphor for the present

• Linear perspective, composition

• Viriatus: lived in Iberian Peninsula at the time of Roman invasion, worked his way up to general, betrayed by two “friends”

• Resonated among Spaniards who are resisting Napoleon, French

• Madrazo was student, then director of Royal Academy, studied in Rome

• Reality no outfits, tents, shields, banners, etc.

Jenaro Pérez Villaamil, View of the Castle in Gaucín, 1849, Prado Museum

• Romanticism

• Movement that reacts against classicism, focuses on nature and feeling, art is medieval or Islamic, nature in its pure form (storm, mountains, volcanoes), nature is bigger than us and is the center of the universe

• Emphasis on individualism, intuition, emotion, (an idealized) past, and (wild) nature

• Reaction to the Enlightenment (Age of Reason)

Eduardo Rosales, Queen Isabella Dictating her Last Will, 1864, Prado Museum

• Realism

• Authentic, carpet isn’t perfect

• Isabella I, very pale

• Won many prizes, awards, symbol of the time

• Artist was early/mid twenties

• Her and king unified the country, the Reconquest

• Last will, wants to keep country and territories together

• 1864, before Mexico gains independence, other countries, Spain losing its influence

• Woman standing on the left married Philip the Handsome, loved her husband, jealous of mistresses, nicknamed “The Mad One” for getting upset at affairs, locked in tower

Francisco Pradilla, Queen Joanna "the Mad", 1877, Prado Museum

• Joanna the Mad, after Philip dies

• Procession, buries him near her parents Catholic Kings

• Walked to Granada while pregnant

• Dressed as widow

• Influences of realism, tire tracks, emotions, dirt

• Romanticism: themes of unrequited love, death

• History painting

Antonio Gisbert, Executions of the General Torrijos and his Companions, 1886-88

• Isabella II ruling, under regency of mother

• People fighting against Napoleon and Ferdinand VII, went to London

• Told they would be safe, went back to Spain, killed as soon as they got off boat

• Priests offering comfort

• Could choose to be blindfolded or not

• Individuality through facial features, body language, clothing, hair, costumismo

• Attention on victims

• Went to beach where it happened, interviewed relatives of victims

• Similar to painting men being executed with hands like crucifixion by Goya, Third of May

Mariano Fortuny, Nude on the Beach, 1874

• Brushstrokes are loose, sketchy, bold

• Light and color, green, blues, purples, mixed on canvas

Mariano Fortuny, The Painter's Children in the Japanese Room, 1874, Prado Museum

• Painting left unfinished

• Very nice room, very wealthy

• Two children playing, bored during nap time, boy wearing Japanese No Theater mask, girl with fan

• Influence of Japan and photography

• Cherry tree branch, golden butterflies

• Painter Madrazo’s daughter marries Fortuny, created artwork for his father-in-law

Sorolla, Another Marguerite, 1892

• Woman’s face: uncomfortable, disassociating

• Homeless, bag indicator

• Hands are tied

• Marguerite, famous criminal at the time, another woman who committed a crime

• Realism

Sorolla, Sad inheritance, 1899

• Last painting covering social issues

• Saw boys going to water in Valencia, supervised by a priest, many needed crutches to walk, learned they were orphans and taken in by church, many had polio because they had gotten sick from their parents

• Realism, but outdoors, colors lighten, many colors in sand, light is shining

• People interested in lighter palette, subjects

Sorolla, And They Still Say Fish is Expensive, 1894

• Below deck on a boat, man is seriously hurt

• Fishermen, three generations, one family connected

• Costumismo: black hat, Basque country

• Locket, given by family?

• People who complain about prices, actually hard work

• Realism, melodramatic vision

Sorolla, A Walk on the Beach, 1909

• Wife and daughter

• Uses color in white dresses

• Flat paintings, 3 dimensional for academic paintings

• Using angle of photograph

Darío de Regoyos, Good Friday in Castille,1904, Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts

• Impressionism

• Procession

• Bright colors: modern; Black colors: tradition

• Two lines: people and train

• Mixing black and white Spain, tradition and modern

Zuloaga, The Christ of the Blood, 1911, Renia Sofia Museum

• Commoners, sculpture of cruxifixction, theatrical

• Reminder of El Greco, elongated figures

• A true emblem of Generation ‘98

Zuloaga, Dwarf Gregorio, 1907, The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

• Reminder of Goya characters, expression looks a little unhuman

• Carrying pot and pig skin, used to contain wine

• Black Spain, forced, trying to find odd character and situation

• In disarray

• Gaze

• Reminder of Velazquez, painted those who served the monarchy

• Reminder of El Greco, sky, color, brushstrokes

Gutierrez Solana, The Flagelants, 1910

• Paint is thick, many layers

• Artist entered academy at 14 years old

• Similar to Goya’s paintings

Gutierrez Solana, The Bishop's Visit, 1926, Reina Sofia Museum

• Stuck in past

• Strangeness

Gutierrez Solana, Gathering at Cafe Pombo, 1920, Reina Sofia Museum

• Tertulia: a gathering that is very long and things are discussed, cultural, similar to book club, will debate literary things, etc.

• The man in the middle: Ramon Gomez de la Serna, modern person introducing modernity in Madrid, poet, Museum of Madrid recreated his office, collector, surrealist, loved El Rastro, left Spain for war and took things with him

Describe the art produced in the court of Philip III, who were the painters he
favored? Which constructions did he sponsor?

Juan Pantoja de la Cruz was a favored artists, as he created a portrait of him and was the royal painter. He was creating at the beginning of the baroque period. Philip III sponsored the construction of the Plaza Mayor, as it was originally designed during Philip II’s reign with architect Juan de Herrera, but architect Gomez de Mora built it while Philip III was ruling.

Which artists exerted an influence on Velázquez?

Titian and Reubens influenced Velázquez’s work because once he began to work for the King Philip IV he had access to the royal collection. His portrait of Martinez Montañes is similar to Titian’s because of the subject, fancy clothing, and the iconography of a sculpture, or in Titian’s case, a paintbrush, referencing their work. In his mythological paintings, specifically The Fable of Arachne, he is referencing both artists because of the subject matter. Also, his use of naturalism is inspired by both artists.

Who were the “people of pleasure” in Velázquez’s paintings? Why were their
depictions so relevant?

Velázquez created paintings of people who were entertainers for the royal court in his paintings Calabacillas, Pablo de Valladolid, Don Diego de Acedo, and Barbarroja. These people were jesters or actors/singers and some had physical and/or mental disabilities. These depictions were relevant because it was moving away from religious, mythological, or royal paintings and instead focusing on people who would not have been recognized without the artwork.

Explain the significance of Las Meninas. Why is said painting so important for Art
History?

Las Meninas is a portrait of the royal family, but also includes Velázquez as the artist. Princess Margaret is being waited on by two adults with dwarfism, two other mentors are in the room, along with a butler, two ladies in waiting, and then the King and Queen are seen in the mirror. Since Kings and Queens could not have portraits together, there is a mirror reflecting them, so they are standing behind the perspective the painting is shown at. The large canvas Velázquez is working on is this exact painting. It places the viewer in an active role and it is important to art history because Velázquez is breaking protocol by placing himself in the piece.

Describe the artistic changes introduced by the Bourbon dynasty in Spain. Please
provide examples of works.

The Bourbon dynasty in Spain introduces the art style of Rococo. The Royal Palace is one example of this because after the original Alcazar burned down, they rebuilt the palace to what it is today. While the outside resembles neoclassicism and baroque architecture, the inside has elements of rococo because of the use of nature in rooms like the Porcelain Room, and its theatrical style.

What were Goya’s intellectual and artistic influences?

Artist Francisco Bayeu was Goya’s teacher and painted in the late baroque, early rococo style. Once in Madrid, Goya studied Velázquez’s artwork and was inspired by him and Anton Raphel Mengs. Velázquez’s use of space was seen in Goya’s work, Duke and Duchess of Osuna. Lived during the French Revolution (1789-99) and the absolute monarchy of Ferdinand VII (1813-1833) inspiring the subjects of his paintings that showed commoners, not just the royal family. He was also inspired by Titian, specifically for his painting La maja desnuda.

Who were Goya’s patrons?

Goya worked under four Spanish Kings, Charles III, Charles IV, Ferdinand VII, and Joseph I. He did not get along with the Kings, but he was the closest to Charles III. However, he was not political, so he would create internal and political problems with his artwork. Such as his portrait May 2nd was commissioned by the monarchy but paints the people of Madrid and the crown in a lesser light.

Why is Goya considered one of the first modern painter?

Goya is considered a modern painter because of technicality and intellectually because of his reflection of contemporary events as he would paint for himself. He would paint works reflecting subjects such as gender, war, and religion.

How is Goya’s work on prints different from his creations on canvas? Explain the
themes, formal style, and significance of his prints.

On the prints, Goya has to create the work flipped, including the text. Unlike the paintings he was creating at the time, his prints have more of a creepy/scary theme, like in Here Comes the Bogeyman and So They Carried Her Off!. They were also significant because they were of commoners, not anyone involved with the monarchy or of religion or mythology.

What is History painting? When does it develop? By whom and with which
purposes?

In the 19th century, history painting became important as the Fine Art Royal Academy began to celebrate it. When they hosted competitions, the artwork that always won gold were history paintings. They were so important because the artwork told a story and had a moral. It was something people could learn from and with the influence from the academy, they were able to set the precedent of what art is and what matters when it comes to art.

Is there any impressionist painting in Spain? Please explain.

There is not really any impressionism in Spain, however, when it did occur it was a later arrival, during the second half of the 19th century. Belgium impressionism painter Carlos de Haes was a teacher at the Fine Art Royal Academy. Then the two artists Fortuny and Sorolla paint in the impressionism style and after travel in Europe, they bring that style to Spain.

Briefly explain the main characteristics of the 1898 Generation specifying the artists
who best represent it.

During the Spanish-American (The Cuban War) and the whole generation is disappointed and have a “tragic sense of life.” Goya influenced this along with the style of baroque and realism. Photographs and films pushed the “realism” style. They began to reinterpret what “Spanishness” is.

Describe José Gutierrez Solana’s depiction of Madrid

Inspired by Goya, Solana portrays Spain with brutality and crude realism. “The black color of life.”