18th to 20th Century Art and Politics in Spain VOCAB

VOCAB

Philip V

The first Bourbon king of Spain (r. 1700–1746), whose reign began after the War of Spanish Succession, bringing French influence to Spanish politics and culture.

Mariana de Austria

Queen and regent of Spain in the 17th century, known for her political influence during the minority of her son, Charles II.

War of Spanish Succession

A European conflict (1701–1714) over who should inherit the Spanish throne after Charles II died without an heir, leading to the Bourbon dynasty in Spain.

Charles III

King of Spain (r. 1759–1788), considered an 'Enlightened despot' who implemented major reforms in government, economy, and urban planning.

Ferdinand VII

Spanish king whose reign (r. 1808 and 1813–1833) was marked by the restoration of absolutism after the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon

French emperor who invaded Spain in 1808, placing his brother Joseph on the throne, sparking the Peninsular War.

Joseph I

Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, installed as King of Spain (1808–1813) during French occupation.

Manuel Godoy

Powerful minister of Charles IV whose political alliances and favoritism contributed to Spain’s instability before Napoleon’s invasion.

Peninsular War

The Spanish resistance (1808–1814) against French rule, part of the larger Napoleonic Wars.

Francisco de Goya

One of Spain’s greatest artists (1746–1828), known for his portraits, political commentary, and dark, expressive works.

Anton Raphael Mengs

German painter and leading Neoclassicist who influenced Spanish art as court painter for Charles III.

The Madrazo Family

A dynasty of Spanish painters in the 19th century known for academic portraiture and historical scenes.

José de Madrazo

Spanish Neoclassical painter, director of the Prado Museum, and patriarch of the Madrazo artistic family.

Federico de Madrazo

Prominent 19th-century Spanish painter, known for his elegant portraits and leadership at the Prado Museum.

Pablo Picasso

Revolutionary Spanish artist (1881–1973), key in developing Cubism and modern art globally.

Gertrude Stein

American writer and art collector who championed early 20th-century artists like Picasso and Matisse.

Juan de Villanueva

Leading architect of Spanish Neoclassicism, best known for designing the Prado Museum.

Rococo

An 18th-century artistic style known for its ornate, playful, and decorative qualities.

Romanticism

A 19th-century movement emphasizing emotion, nature, individualism, and historical imagination.

Realism

An artistic movement focusing on the depiction of everyday life and ordinary subjects without idealization.

Sublime

A concept in art and aesthetics emphasizing awe-inspiring beauty or grandeur, often tied to nature or overwhelming experiences.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual movement advocating reason, science, and progress, influencing politics, philosophy, and the arts.

Modernism

A broad cultural movement (late 19th–early 20th centuries) embracing innovation, breaking with traditional forms in art, literature, and architecture.

History painting

A genre depicting scenes from history, mythology, or religion, traditionally considered the highest form of painting.

Cubism

An early 20th-century art movement led by Picasso and Braque, breaking subjects into geometric forms and multiple perspectives.

Black paintings

Dark, haunting murals painted by Goya in his later years directly onto the walls of his home, reflecting despair and madness.

Mariano Fortuny

19th-century Spanish painter celebrated for his detailed, colorful works and Orientalist themes.

Antonio Gaudí

Catalan architect famous for his fantastical, organic designs and key figure of Catalan Modernism.

La Sagrada Familia

Gaudí’s monumental, still-unfinished basilica in Barcelona, blending Gothic and Art Nouveau styles.

Parc Güell

A colorful, imaginative park in Barcelona designed by Gaudí, filled with whimsical architecture and mosaics.

Joaquín Sorolla

Spanish painter known for his luminous, vibrant depictions of Mediterranean scenes and social issues.

Archer Huntington

American scholar and philanthropist who founded the Hispanic Society of America and promoted Spanish art abroad.

Family of Philip V – Van Loo

A royal family portrait by Louis-Michel van Loo, emphasizing the new Bourbon dynasty’s legitimacy.

Family of Charles IV – Goya

Goya’s famous group portrait portraying the royal family with a strikingly realistic, sometimes unflattering touch.

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters – Goya

A print from Los Caprichos illustrating how abandoning reason leads to chaos and horror.

Portrait of Jovellanos – Goya

A powerful portrait of Enlightenment thinker Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, emphasizing intellect and melancholy.

2nd and 3rd of May – Goya

Two paintings depicting the brutal repression of Spanish citizens by French forces in 1808.

Death of Viriatus – José de Madrazo

A Neoclassical painting showing the assassination of the Lusitanian leader by traitors, symbolizing patriotism.

Guernica – Picasso

A monumental painting expressing the horrors of the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon – Picasso

A groundbreaking early Cubist painting depicting five nude women with distorted, angular forms.

The Naked / Clothed Maja

Two iconic Goya paintings of a reclining woman, one nude and the other dressed, challenging social norms.

Visions of Spain – Sorolla

A series of large panels capturing the diverse landscapes, people, and traditions of Spain.

Sad Inheritance – Sorolla

A poignant painting showing disabled children bathing at the sea under a monk’s supervision, highlighting social concerns.

1808

The year Napoleon invaded Spain, beginning the Peninsular War and major upheaval.

1814

End of the Peninsular War; Ferdinand VII restored to the Spanish throne.

1819

The Prado Museum officially opened in Madrid, showcasing Spain’s royal art collection.

1936

Beginning of the Spanish Civil War between Republicans and Nationalists.

1939

End of the Spanish Civil War with Franco’s victory and the beginning of his dictatorship.

Joan Miró

Catalan artist known for his colorful, surreal, and abstract works, blending fantasy and symbolism.

Surrealism

A 20th-century movement focusing on dreams, the unconscious, and irrational imagery.

Informalism

Postwar abstract movement emphasizing spontaneous, gestural painting and material textures.

Antonio Saura

Spanish painter associated with abstract expressionism and Informalism, known for his dark, expressive figures.

Antonio Tàpies

Catalan painter blending material experimentation with abstract, symbolic imagery, a leader in postwar Spanish art.

Rafael Moneo

Influential Spanish architect, known for blending modern design with historical sensitivity.

Eduardo Chillida

Spanish sculptor known for his monumental abstract works in iron and stone, often exploring space and form.

Peine del Viento

Chillida’s famous outdoor sculpture in San Sebastián, where iron forms meet the sea and wind interactively.

Third of May 1808

Painting depicting the execution of Spanish rebels by French soldiers, highlighting emotional suffering.

• Goya, Jovellanos, 1798

• Definition: Portrait of Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, a Spanish Enlightenment thinker.

• Characteristics: Intellectual atmosphere, dark background, introspective mood, sharp psychological realism.

• Goya, Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, 1799

• Definition: Etching from Goya’s Los Caprichos series criticizing ignorance and superstition.

• Characteristics: Dramatic contrast of light and dark, dreamlike creatures (owls, bats), moral warning about abandoning reason.

• Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907

• Definition: Radical Cubist painting depicting five nude women in a brothel.

• Characteristics: Sharp, fragmented forms, African and Iberian mask influence, beginning of Cubism, flat perspective.

• Goya, Witches’ Sabbath (Black Paintings), 1820–23

• Definition: Dark mural showing witches worshipping a devilish goat figure.

• Characteristics: Nightmarish, bleak palette, grotesque figures, intense psychological horror, loss of faith in humanity.

• Sorolla, Walk on the Seashore, 1909

• Definition: Bright painting showing Sorolla’s wife and daughter walking by the Mediterranean coast.

• Characteristics: Brilliant use of light, flowing movement, white tones, everyday beauty and impressionistic brushwork.

• Carreño de Miranda, Mariana de Austria, 1670

• Definition: Formal portrait of Queen Mariana de Austria in Spanish court dress.

• Characteristics: Baroque style, stiff pose, rich fabrics, attention to detail, symbol of royal authority.

• Goya, Maja Desnuda, 1795–1800

• Definition: A bold, sensual nude of a reclining woman.
  Characteristics: Naturalistic, candid sensuality, soft modeling of the body, no mythological excuse for nudity (very modern).

• Van Loo, Family of Philip V, 1743

• Definition: Grand court portrait of Philip V’s family showing Bourbon dynasty.

• Characteristics: Symmetrical composition, opulent clothing, French Rococo influence, formal and dynastic.

• Goya, Family of Charles IV, 1800

• Definition: Group portrait of King Charles IV and his family.

• Characteristics: Realistic, almost unflattering, psychological insight, influenced by Velázquez’s Las Meninas.

• Picasso, Guernica, 1937

• Definition: Mural-sized painting about the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

• Characteristics: Monochromatic (black, white, gray), dramatic fragmentation, symbols of suffering (bull, horse), anti-war protest.

• José de Madrazo, Death of Viriatus, 1807

• Definition: Neoclassical painting of the betrayal and assassination of a Lusitanian hero.

• Characteristics: Idealized bodies, classical poses, moralizing tone, clear, rational composition.

• Mariano Fortuny, The Painter’s Children in the Japanese Room, 1874

• Definition: Portrait of Fortuny’s children in a richly decorated Japanese-themed room.

• Characteristics: Bright color, exotic decor, attention to detail, tender domesticity, early impressionist feeling.

• Goya, Second of May 1808, 1814

• Definition: Painting of the Spanish uprising against French forces in Madrid.

• Characteristics: Dynamic action, chaos, vivid violence, emotional intensity, movement-packed composition.

• Goya, Third of May 1808, 1814

• Definition: Depicts the execution of Spanish rebels by French soldiers.

• Characteristics: Strong contrast of light and dark (chiaroscuro), focus on innocent suffering, emotional immediacy, martyrdom imagery.

• Juan de Villanueva, Prado Museum, 1785

• Definition: Neoclassical building originally designed as a Natural Sciences museum, later converted to the Prado art museum.

• Characteristics: Balanced symmetry, clean lines, sober grandeur, classical columns and porticoes.

• Gaudí, Sagrada Familia, 1882–Present

• Definition: Monumental basilica in Barcelona still under construction.

• Characteristics: Organic forms, Gothic inspiration with Modernist flair, rich ornamentation, symbolic architecture blending nature and faith.

• Gaudí, Parc Güell, 1900–1914

• Definition: Public park project turned whimsical urban landscape in Barcelona.

• Characteristics: Colorful mosaics, flowing natural shapes, playful architectural designs, integration with the environment.

• Antonio Tàpies, Large Gray Canvas, 1964

Definition: Mixed media abstract artwork emphasizing material and texture.
Characteristics: Earthy gray tones, heavy textures, minimalistic, gestural marks, evoking decay and spirituality.

• Chillida, Peine del Viento (Wind Comb), 1976

• Definition: Site-specific sculpture where iron structures interact with the sea and wind in San Sebastián

Characteristics: Monumental scale, abstract, integration with natural forces, rusted material blending with the coast.

• Rafael Moneo, Prado Museum Addition, 1998–2007

• Definition: Expansion of the Prado Museum connecting the original building to the cloister of Los Jerónimos.

• Characteristics: Respectful of historic context, minimalist elegance, use of natural light, sober materials.

• What is the rococo style and how did it arrive to Spain?

• Neoclassicism: Artistic movement inspired by Ancient Greece/Rome; emphasized reason, order, and morality.

• Enlightenment: Intellectual movement valuing reason, science, and progress.

• Linked because both promoted rationality, clarity, and ideal civic virtues.

• Example: José de Madrazo's Death of Viriatus shows heroic virtue and moral clarity.

• Explain how neoclassicism is linked to the ideas of the Enlightenment. Define each and describe their relation, cite examples in art.

• Romanticism: Artistic movement emphasizing emotion, nature, individual freedom.

• While reacting against strict rationality, it expanded Enlightenment ideals about human rights, freedom, and individuality.

• Example: Goya’s Third of May 1808 highlights emotional suffering and the heroism of individuals against oppression.

• Explain how romanticism is linked to the ideas of the Enlightenment.

• Romanticism: Artistic movement emphasizing emotion, nature, individual freedom.

• While reacting against strict rationality, it expanded Enlightenment ideals about human rights, freedom, and individuality.

• Example: Goya’s Third of May 1808 highlights emotional suffering and the heroism of individuals against oppression.

• Think of ways in which Goya is a ‘modern’ artist. How is this different from the past? Cite examples in art.

• Depicts personal fears, dreams, and social critique (Black Paintings, Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters).

• Focuses on the darker, irrational side of human nature—unlike traditional idealized art.

• Uses bold, loose brushwork and psychological depth (Family of Charles IV, Third of May 1808).

• Why is the portrait of Gertrude Stein a turning point in Picasso’s career? Explain their relationship, the creation of the portrait, and its relevance within Picasso’s body of work.

• Marks Picasso’s move toward abstraction and away from traditional portraiture.

• Creation: Struggled to capture Stein’s essence; after a break, finished it with a simplified, mask-like face.

• Relationship: Stein was a key supporter; introduced Picasso to modern art circles in Paris.

• Relevance: Led toward Cubism (Les Demoiselles d’Avignon follows shortly after).