Spanish Golden Age Painting: Masters & Art Centers
Spanish Golden Age Painting: Key Artists & Centers
The Spanish Golden Age of painting, particularly in the 17th century, was marked by three major artistic centers, each fostering unique talents and styles.
Major Art Centers of Spanish Painting
- Madrid: Home to Diego Velázquez, the foremost painter of the era, who served the royal court.
- Seville: A vibrant hub that nurtured artists like Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and Juan de Valdés Leal.
- Valencia: A significant center of artistic momentum, thanks to the contributions of Jusepe de Ribera and Francisco Ribalta.
In the early years, Spanish painting followed the severe, decorous, rigid, and naturalistic traditions established at El Escorial in the 17th century. Later in the reign of Philip IV, Spanish painting reached its maturity through the hands of masters such as Jusepe de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, Alonso Cano, and Diego Velázquez. Influenced by Italian painting, the style became increasingly Baroque, characterized by dramatic light, intense emotion, and dynamic compositions.
Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652)
Born in Xàtiva, Ribera soon moved to Italy, where he spent his entire life. He was profoundly influenced by Caravaggio, deeply concerned with studies of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), and keenly interested in naturalism. He married the daughter of a powerful Neapolitan painter and became the best-known painter in Naples, working for the Spanish court. His style is naturalistic, dramatic, vigorous, and sensual. From this period, The Great Calvary (1618) stands out. In 1620, he began cultivating engraving. Works from his mature period include Saint Jerome and The Drunken Silenus, where he employed a more impasto technique, emphasizing light effects and tangible reality. Between 1631 and 1637, he painted an Immaculate Conception. Some of his masterpieces, such as Jacob’s Dream and The Martyrdom of Saint Philip, date from 1639. The Clubfoot (also known as The Lame Man) was painted in 1642.
Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)
Velázquez is arguably the most outstanding personality of his generation and a towering figure in European painting of his time. He masterfully employed aerial perspective through color and light, and explored a wide range of thematic treatments, including nudes and mythological subjects.
Velázquez’s Artistic Periods
First Stage in Seville (Pre-1623)
In his early Seville period, Velázquez’s paintings are characterized by dark and opaque colors. Notable examples include Old Woman Frying Eggs, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, and The Waterseller of Seville, all demonstrating a chiaroscuro technique with meticulous detail in objects.
First Stage in Madrid (1623-1629)
In 1623, Velázquez settled at the court, initiating his first Madrid period. He worked primarily as a portrait painter. The arrival of Rubens in Madrid influenced Velázquez to vary his color palette, as seen in The Triumph of Bacchus (also known as The Drunks).
First Trip to Italy (1629-1631)
During his first trip to Italy, Velázquez moved away from dark tones, becoming interested in studying landscapes and capturing atmosphere. The Forge of Vulcan is a prime example of what he learned during this journey.
Return to the Madrid Court (1631-1648)
Upon his return to the Madrid court, Velázquez began a long and fruitful stage. The most important work from these years is The Surrender of Breda. He later painted the Equestrian Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares, among others. All these works demonstrate his perfected technique and profound psychological insight into his subjects.
Second Trip to Italy (1648-1651)
At the end of 1648, Velázquez made his second trip to Italy, where he painted the Portrait of Pope Innocent X, embodying a novel vividness and intensity.
Last Period in Spain (1651-1660)
In 1651, he returned to Spain and began his final period, during which he painted some of his masterpieces, such as Venus at Her Mirror (the first comprehensive nude in Spanish painting) and The Spinners (also known as The Fable of Arachne). A little later, he created his most famous painting, Las Meninas, which conveys an impression of profound realism and visual deception.