Spanish art (2)In the XIIIth century, the gothic style from northern Europe prevailed, with jewels like the cathedrals of Leon, Burgos and Toledo, and the church of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona. Paintings and sculptures also obtained a great quality during the gothic age, with outstanding names like the Serra brothers, Bartolome Bermejo, and Fernando Gallego. Mudejar Art was born from the mixture of Arab and Christian styles, of which some fine examples can be found in the Aragonese city of Teruel.  At the end of the XVth century, Renaissance art came over from Italy, acquiring a protagonist role, although the gothic style continued to evolve (the market of Valencia and the cathedral of Mallorca). Some highlights are the Palace of Carlos V (Granada) and the exuberant plateresque façade of the university of Salamanca. Among the Renaissance painters, Pedro Berruguete stands out. In sculpturing, Alonso Berruguete, Diego de Siloe or Juan de Juni introduced the manierism style in Spain, whose grandmaster was the painter El Greco. With the arrival of the characteristic baroque style of the catholic Counterreformation, ornaments were accentuated (cathedral of Murcia) highlighting the churrigueresque style exemplified on the Main Square (Plaza Mayor) of Salamanca; in sculpture, religious images proliferated, honouring Juan de Mesa; and in painting a true Spanish Golden Century started, with artists like Ribera, Alonso Cano, Zurbarán, Murillo or Velazquez standing out. In the XVIIIth century, with the establishment of the Borbonic dynasty in Spain, Neoclasicism was introduced (Palace of Aranjuez, Prado Museum) and the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando was created. From the period around 1800, the genial works of painter Francisco de Goya, precursor of the modern painting style, stand out. |
||
