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Baroque Art of Spain

BAROQUE ART

SPAIN

  1. INTRODUCTION
  1. Spain was a devout Catholic country
  1. As in Italy, painting was used to inspire and teach the masses about famous Catholic saints
  1. Scenes of saints suffering and being martyred are very common; artwork expressed the mystical and otherworldly.
  1. Spain was an absolute monarchy
  1. The king held all the power in Spain and used artwork to promote his reign.
  1. DIEGO VELAZQUEZ
  1. Introduction – Superlatives
  1. “Velazquez, when all is said and done, he’s the best.” Picasso
  1. “Velazquez is unmatched in the portrayals of humanity, the creation of drama, in his elegance, his softness of touch, his power of execution, and his depth of understanding.” Thomas Hoving (Former director of the MET)
  1. “The noblest and most commanding man among the artists of his country. His men and women seem to breathe, his horses are full of action and his dogs of life.”
  1. The Early Years in Seville
  1. Born in Seville on June 6, 1599. Parents were comfortable but not rich.
  1. Demonstrated great gifts as an artist and became a student of Francisco Pacheco when he was just 11 years old.
  1. Became a master in the painters’ guild of Seville (1617) and married Juana Pacheco, his teacher’s daughter (1618).
  1. An Early Masterpiece (G-710 and Web Gallery) Waterseller of Seville (Web Gallery 1621 – 1630)
  • In the oppressively hot climate of Seville, water vendors walked the streets selling their cool liquid from large clay jars like the one in the foreground.
  • In this scene, the clarity and purity of the water are proudly attest to by the seller, who offers the customer a sample poured into a glass goblet.
  • Note the water jug and the amazing drops of water running down its sides.
  1. Three great ambitions:
  • To become “Painter to the King”
  • To lift the status of artists
  • To be recognized as a gentleman
  1. Painter to the King
  1. A new king
  • Philip IV inherited a powerful but declining empire
  • Philip was a particularly weak ruler. Politically he was at the mercy of his ministers, and in private life at that of his sensual desires. He is said to have fathered 32 illegitimate children and to have had more mistresses than Louis XIV.
  • Philip was a great patron of the arts and wanted a court painter who would make him look good.
  1. A great opportunity
  • Velazquez recognized the opportunity and travelled to Madrid
  • First painting of Philip (Web Gallery of Art – 1621 – 1630, painting two)
  • What do you think?
  • Philip is pleased and names Velazquez “Painter to the King.” Velazquez and his family move to Madrid.
  1. The Official Portrait
  • Intended to be life-like
  • Pictures of nobility were treated with respect and reverence
  • Included symbolic elements which reinforced the power of the person being portrayed
  • Strict use of hierarchical scale – the king is largest, then the queen, the prince and so on
  1. Let’s Meet the Royal Family
  • Philip IV – Gardner’s 711
  • Philip is portrayed as a military leader arrayed in red and silver campaign dress
  • He is holding a baton of command in his right hand
  • Philip IV (Web Gallery of Art: 1636 – 1640 picture 1, Equestrian Portrait of Philip)
  • Pose connects Philip to the glory of ancient Rome
  • Philip controls the horse with apparent ease as he executes a levade, a difficult Spanish Riding School maneuver, in which the rider uses one hand to control a rearing horse. Despite the difficulty of the move, Philip is calm and in control.
  • Queen Isabella
  • Baltasar Carlos on Horseback
  • No image expresses better the hopes invested in the young prince for the future success of the monarchy
  • Baltasar Carlos sits on his rearing pony, controlling the animal’s high spirits with the confidence of a born leader
  • Holding his commander’s baton on high, the wind catching the golden tassels of his sash, he personifies the fresh surge of energy needed to reinvigorate the Hapsburg dynasty of Spain.
  • Queen Mariana of Austria (Web Gallery of Art: 1651 – 1660, painting two)
  • Baltasar’s death and the death of Queen Isabella created a potentially catastrophic situation for the monarchy.
  • On October 7, 1649, Philip married his 15 year-old niece (the daughter of his sister). Amazingly, Mariana had been the promised bride of Baltasar.
  • Note the similarity between Philip’s features and Mariana’s features.
  • The new queen is garbed in a black dress, known as a guardainfanta, lavishly embroidered with silver thread. On her head, she wears an elaborate wig, ornamented with red, flower-shaped ribbons and surmounted by a red and white plume.
  • Through sheer artistry, Velazquez imparts grandeur to this otherwise unprepossessing young woman.
  1. Celebrating a Spanish Victory: Surrender of Breda also known as The Lances (G-711 and Web Gallery of Art 1631 – 1635, picture number 5)
  • Breda – a strategically important Dutch town captured by the Spanish in June 1625 after a 10-month siege
  • Dutch resistance to the Spanish forces had been heroic and the conquering general, Ambrosio Spinola, instead of sacking the town and punishing the defenders, treated them with dignity
  • Velazquez portrays the moment when the worn and defeated Dutch general, Justin of Nassau, presents the keys to the victorious Spanish general
  • A magnanimous (generous) gesture. Note how Spinola consoles Justin with a gesture that seems to represent the epitome of Spanish honor and chivalry.
  • The Spanish soldiers – The faces of the Spanish officers behind Spinola reflect pity for the vanquished and pride in themselves. The erect lances convey the sense of a battle well fought by well-trained troops.
  • The Dutch soldiers – dejected and defeated
  • Two views of a magnificent horse. Where have you seen this horse?
  • A man in the corner and a blank piece of paper
  • Do you think that Velazquez was an eyewitness to the vents and place depicted in this painting? Velazquez had met General Spinola but had never met Justin. Both commanders were dead by the time Velazquez painted this picture. Velazquez relied on descriptions and engravings to recreate the event. Considering this, the sense of actuality he achieved is astonishing. The painting is convincing both pictorially and psychologically.
  1. Dwarfs, Fools, and Jesters
  • Dwarfs, fools, and jesters were present in large numbers at the Court of Philip IV. Velazquez painted the likenesses of many of the dwarfs of the Spanish court who were, in the words of a contemporary, “loved and treated as dogs.” These unfortunates found shelter in return for their services as jesters. They had to endure the rude remarks and practical jokes of the courtiers. Their feelings as human beings were generally ignored.
  • The Dwarf Sebastian de Morra (Web Gallery 41 – 50 picture 9)
  • Note that the dwarf is not standing in a self-confident pose or elegantly seated on a chair. He is sitting on the bare earth with his feet stretched out in front of him. This low position not only shows up the sumptuous clothing for the clownish apparel it is, but also heightens the intended effect: the court fool is at the mercy of the spectator
  • But at the same time, Velazquez is also making another statement: this court fool is giving nothing away, neither a smile, nor any buffoonery. Immobile, scrutinizing, and impenetrable, his dark eyes are fixed on the spectator, who somehow feels caught out by such a gaze and turns away.
  • Pablo de Valladolid (Web Gallery of Art 1631 – 35, picture 12)
  • Pablo was among the many dwarfs, jesters, and entertainers on the court payroll. Since his presence at the court was probably because of his comic and theatrical ability, he appears in the painting in a declamatory pose.
  • Take a closer look at this painting. Beginning with Giotto, western artists have portrayed real figures occupying real space. When he saw the painting, Manet gasped: “The background disappears. It is only air that surrounds the good man, all dressed in black and alive.
  1. An Anomaly: The Rokeby Venus (Web Gallery 51 -60, painting 1)
  • Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful recumbent nudes in western art.
  • Paintings of nude women were very rare in Spanish art
  • Is the mirror giving us an accurate reflection?
  1. Two Famous Paintings in Rome
  1. Philip IV commissioned Velazquez to visit Rome and buy masterpieces for the royal collection. Velazquez reportedly spent 2 million in gold and bought some of the top Titians and Tintorettos that have survived. Because of Velazquez’s discerning eye the Prado is one of the top art museums in the world.
  2. Juan de Pareja (at the MET!)
  • A demonstration piece. In Madrid, Velazquez was a major figure. But in Rome he was an unknown. Velazquez evidently decided to paint a portrait that would show the Romans what he could do. He chose as his subject his assistant and friend, Juan de Pareja.
  • Both Velazquez and Pareja had a fine sense of public relations, because they agreed that de Pareja would carry his portrait around to every artist in Rome. When the door opened, Pareja would hold the portrait in front of his face before lowering it to let the astonished recipient encounter de Pareja alive. The reaction was unanimous when the painting was displayed at an exhibition. The saying was that “all the other paintings are art. But this, this is Truth.”
  • “The Metropolitan is probably the greatest museum in the world, and I think – a daring claim – that this is its greatest painting.” Sister Wendy
  1. Pope Innocent X
  • Universally regarded as a supreme masterpiece of portraiture.
  • Acknowledging how brilliantly Velazquez had captured his character, the Pope said the portrait was “troppo vero” – too truthful.
  1. Las Meninas or Maids of Honor (10 feet 5 inches by 9 feet) (G-712)
  1. And the top ten are:

10RembrandtThe Return of the Prodigal Son

9PicassoGuernica

8GrunewaldIsenheim Altarpiece

7GiottoLamentation

6El GrecoBurial of Count Orgaz

5FrancescaResurrection

4BotticelliLa Primavera

3Giorgione The Tempest

2VermeerView of Delft

1VelazquezLAS MENINAS

  1. Who is who?
  • Princess Margarita – the five year-old daughter of Philip and Mariana
  • Dona Maria Augustina Sarmiento – offers Margarita a tray with a little jug of water
  • Dona Isabel Velasco – the maid of honor to the right of Princess Margarita
  • Maribarbola – a female dwarf
  • Nicolas de Pertusato – a male dwarf who places his foot on the large dog
  • Dona Marcela de Ulloa – guardian of the queen’s ladies
  • Unknown figure – another court servant who looked after the queen’s maids
  • Jose Velazquez – Chamberlain of the Queen’s quarters
  • King Philip IV and Queen Mariana – at the time of the painting, Philip was 51 years old and Mariana was 21 years old. They had been married for 6 years.
  • Diego Velazquez – Posed in front of a large canvas. Note the long brush and also note the Noble Cross of Santiago on his breast.
  1. The Details
  • The refined face of Princess Magarita and the refined face of Maribarbola
  • The fur on the dog
  • The flowers on Margarita’s dress
  • Velazquez’s amused and surprised expression
  • The minute touches of color on Velazquez’s palette
  • The dimly seen paintings on the wall
  • Velazquez captures the instant and makes it infinite
  1. Who is the central figure in Las Meninas?
  • Is it Princess Margarita? After all, she is in the center of the painting. And the characters seem to revolve around her.
  • Is it King Philip IV and Queen Mariana? After all, they are the reigning monarchs. Look closely. Everyone is reacting to the presence of the royal monarchs. They are seen in the mirror and in the reactions of everyone else. The king and queen have arrived and the king’s favorite hunting dog has fallen asleep.
  • Or is it Velazquez himself? Velazquez has cleverly made himself the real center of the painting. Las Meninas can be his way of fulfilling his ambitions to raise the status of art and gain a noble title for himself. Remember that in 17th century Spain, painting was regarded as a craft, or inferior activity, not as an art comparable to poetry. The presence of the royal family within the artist’s studio expresses the idea that the highest secular authority is bestowing its approval on painting as a noble endeavor. As Velazquez stands at his easel, working on a large canvas, the royal family witnesses the act and thus affirms his social quality.
  1. What is Velazquez painting on the surface of his canvas?
  • Is it the Princess and her maids of honor?
  • Or is it a portrait of the King and Queen?
  1. What about the Cross of the Order of Santiago painted on Velazquez’s chest?
  • Las Meninas was painted in 1656
  • Velazquez was awarded the Cross in 1659
  • According to tradition, King Philip painted the Cross as a sign of his esteem for Velazquez
  • King Philip had Las Meninas displayed in his study and showed it only to his favorite guests.
  1. Whatever happened to…
  1. King Philip IV – Now remembered as a weak king whose reign witnessed the decline of Spanish power. Thanks to Velazquez, Philip was one of the most frequently portrayed monarchs in history. Philip died broken-hearted in September 17, 1665 expressing the hope that his son and successor Charles II would be more fortunate than himself.
  1. Diego Velazquez – Became suddenly ill and died on August 6, 1660. His grief-stricken wife died just one week later. Velazquez was buried in the church of S. Juan Battista, which was destroyed in 1811, leaving no trace of his moral remains. During his life, Velazquez was a painter of princes. He is now recognized as the Prince of Painters. His statue now stands at the front entrance to the Prado. He holds one of his long paint brushes in one hand and visitors can clearly see the Order of Santiago emblem on his chest.
  1. Las Meninas – now universally recognized as one of if not the greatest painting in Western art. The painting is displayed in the center of a great oval room of the Prado where it is admired by thousands of visitors every day.