On Friday 03 October 2025, we started a new series of lectures exploring the Golden Age of Art in Spain with Jennifer, who has developed a strong following amongst our members.
Understanding what was happening in Spain over the years from the 8th Century to the 19th Century is necessary in order to understand the country’s art. So we started with a history lesson on the invasion of Spain by the Moors and the influence that had on art in Spain. However, Christianity managed to remain in the Northern edge of Spain, and from that coast, it worked southwards for a period of some 400 years until Granada was finally liberated in 1492, the year in which Christopher Columbus located the New World.
This long period of change was reflected in much of the architecture, and Jennifer used examples from Seville to show how the two faiths, as well as Spain’s global exploration, were represented in the buildings.
Perhaps, one of the key events in the history of Spain was the merger through marriage of the houses of Aragon and Castile in 1469. That marriage unified Spain and established a dynasty that covered the Iberian Peninsular, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Sicily and a good half of modern day Italy. With the unification, Italian artists were able to travel to Spain and were able to contribute to the body of practising artists.
The dynasty was sustained, and eventually that marriage back in 1469 led to a Spaniard rising to the post of Holy Roman Emperor, controlling the area shown in green on the map. This resulted in a close liaison between the artists in Belgium and Holland, as well as Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, much of Germany and Northern Italy also contributing to the Golden Age of Art in Spain.
To ensure the religious purity of Spain after the expulsion of the Moors, a special court was established to find and either convert or punish any who did not proclaim the true faith. Much of the art of the late 15th Century and the 16th Century recorded the work of the Spanish Inquisition – and yes, Monty Python was remembered.
Over the coming weeks, we will see much more religious art from this period, studying the works of El Greco (who came to Spain from Crete via Italy), Velazquez, Zurbaran and Murillo. Vermeer and Rembrandt also contributed to the Spanish Golden Age of Art, and we will be looking at each of these artists in the coming weeks.
This was a fascinating introduction to an important area of artistic study, and after a break for tea and coffee, Jennifer lightened the mood with a report on her travels over the summer months that included Wurzburg, Nuremberg, Giverny, Vernon, Chartres, Tours, Chenonceau, Villandry, Fontainebleu, Fontevraud, Chinon and Amboise. She also surprised many members with the location of the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, and why his painting The Mona Lisa belongs in France.
The programme will continue on 17 October 2025 with A World of Power and how Spain influenced art across Europe during the reigns of Charles V and Philip II.