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Introduction

• Good morning/afternoon/evening greetings and personal reflection on current events.

• Instructor's focus on grading papers, aiming to finish by the last day of the quarter.

• Reminder: Last day of the quarter is June (exact date not specified).

Upcoming Announcements

• Final Exam: Scheduled for two weeks from the upcoming Tuesday.

• An email will be sent containing the final exam question.

• Acknowledgment of students' stress during finals and assurance of empathetic approach to exam content.

Overview of Spanish Baroque Art

• Transition from yesterday's focus on Baroque in Italy and Flanders.

• Baroque style's origin in Rome and its spread through Europe, including Spain, a predominantly Catholic country.

Spain During the Baroque Period (1600–1700)

• Spain's Wealth: Due to colonies in the Americas (South, Central, North America).

  • Taxes and discoveries of precious metals (gold and silver) attributed to Spain's wealth.

• Three Habsburg Kings: Philip III, Philip IV, Charles II, blamed for economic decline.

  • Weak leadership contributing to poor decisions, less gold/silver discovered, droughts, and agricultural failures.

• Artistic Prosperity: Despite economic hardships, this era is referred to as Spain's Golden Age.

  • Continued heavy spending on arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, and music.

  • Use of foreign artists, e.g., Peter Paul Rubens, and national artists like Diego Velázquez.

Notable Spanish Artist: Diego Velázquez

• Overview: Treasured artist of the Spanish Baroque, grew up in Seville.

• Artistic Influences: Influence of Caravaggio's tenebrism on Velázquez's early works.

• "Water Carrier of Seville": Depicts a poor water carrier highlighting the challenges of his social class.

  • Attention to texture: rough wool cloak, haggard appearance to showcase reality.

• Career Progression:

  • Velázquez's ambition led him to Madrid, gaining recognition from Philip IV.

  • Position as court painter, eventually rising to primary court painter role.

Iconic Work: "Las Meninas"

• Title Meaning: "The Maids of Honor."

• Features Princess Margarita, maids, and Velázquez himself, painting in the scene.

• Complex composition with multiple layers:

  • Represents a room, the royal family, and a potential viewing of the king and queen.

• Viewer Engagement: The illusion suggests the viewer stands alongside the king and queen, immersed in the scene.

• Interpretation and symbolism:

  • Velázquez’s expression hints at personal struggles (unfulfilled ambitions regarding the Knights of the Order of Santiago).

  • Hints at deeper meanings about social status and artistic recognition.

Transition to Dutch Baroque Art

• Introduction of the Dutch Baroque, contrasting Spanish Catholicism with Dutch Protestantism.

• Economic Context: Wealth spawned from trade during colonization period; successful economic independence from Spain in 1648.

• Daily life represented in art, commissioned by the middle class instead of religious entities.

• Dutch artists predicting public preferences, emphasizing genre, landscapes, and still lifes.

Popular Art Themes in the Dutch Republic

• Genre Scenes: Everyday subjects, family gatherings, quiet moments, emphasizing comfortable middle-class life.

• Portraits: Highly valued, primarily commissioned work by individuals.

• Still Lifes: Showcases wealth through depicted luxury items like food and expensive tableware.

• Celebratory Themes: Illustrations of social gatherings with moral implications (e.g., drinking too much).

Notable Dutch Artist: Jan Vermeer

• Vermeer’s paintings characterized by quietness and reflection, contrasting the vibrant scenes typical in Dutch art.

• "Young Woman with a Water Jug": Highlights tranquility, contemplation, and a symbolic representation of societal roles.

• Vermeer's limited output (about 34 paintings) contributed to his lack of recognition during his lifetime.

  • Detailed focus on light and reflection not widely appreciated at the time.

• "The Balance": Complex symbolic imagery with religious undertones, reflecting on personal morality and societal expectations.

Conclusion

• A preview of the next lecture covering French Baroque art with artist Nicolas Poussin.

• Encouragement for students to stay healthy and safe.