Spanish artists are as bright as the sun of their homeland

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Great Spanish artists in their works touched on topics that excite every person, so their names have remained for centuries. Starting with El Greco, there are nine such masters who lived from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The highest flourishing is the 17th century. Otherwise, it is also called Golden. This is the baroque period.

Sixteenth century

The first to glorify the Spanish school was the Greek Domenico Theotokopoulos (1541-1614), who was nicknamed El Greco in Spain. In those days, bonfires were often lit over heretics. Therefore, secular topics were practically not touched upon. Easel and fresco painting are varieties of illustrations for Holy Scripture. But even here great caution had to be exercised. Traditional interpretations were required.

El Greco combines religious themes with an amazingly beautiful and opulent color scheme that anticipates the advent of the Baroque. One of his masterpieces, The Apostles Peter and Paul (1582-592), is kept in Russia. It depicts a simple illiterate fisherman Peter and the creator of the entire Christian doctrine, the highly educated Paul, of course, with the Bible. Christianity in the first centuries won all heartswith his love for people, mercy and simplicity - it was enough just to believe, and any person, educated or not, poor or rich, became a Christian. Spanish artists learned a lot from the painter, who had a unique style associated with eye disease. However, for a long period his painting was forgotten and rediscovered three centuries later.

Baroque – Golden Age

As nowhere else, Catholicism is still strong, moreover, it represents a powerful and formidable force that requires a person to kill carnal desires and joys and complete immersion in religious rituals. Spanish artists such as José Ribera (1591-1652), Francisco Zurbaran (1598-1664), Diego Velasquez (1599-1660) and Bartolomeo Murillo (1617-1682) are the brightest representatives of this period. They are familiar with the works of Caravaggio, who has a great influence on them, not for their still lifes, but for their understanding of what death is and how closely it touches life.

Spanish artists Ribera and Zurbaran

This association is somewhat arbitrary. The painting of José Ribera (1591-1652) is distinguished by the themes associated with martyrdom and naturalism in the depiction of the suffering of saints and heroes from mythology, as well as a sharp contrast of light and shadow. Francisco Zurbaran (1598-1664) creates his best paintings, colored with lyricism, in the 30s of the 16th century. In 1662, he will write with tenderness “Madonna and Child with John the Baptist.”

A bright image of a baby in the center of a simple and natural composition,immediately attracts attention, as well as the gentle face of the Madonna, and the golden clothes of kneeling John, at whose feet a symbolic white sheep is located. The grown-up Christ will be the shepherd of the vast flock of those who believe in him. Zurbaran paints only from nature - this is his principle, using the contrast of deep shadows and strong light. Zurbaran was friends with the brilliant artist Diego Velasquez, who helped him with orders. Spanish artists strove to support each other.

Velasquez (1599-1660)

Initially Spanish artist Diego Velazquez, living in Seville, works a lot on genre scenes, as well as on allegorical paintings. But his acquaintance with Italian paintings from the royal collection greatly changed his aesthetic views. It changes color to soft silver and moves to transparent tones. With great difficulty, he manages to get a job as a court painter. But King Philip IV immediately appreciated the gift of the young artist, and he later created portraits of members of the royal family. The pinnacle in his work were two paintings, unsolved until now, so many meanings were laid in them by the artist. These are Meninas (1656), that is, a retinue of courtiers under the heirs to the royal throne, and Spinners (1658).

In "Meniny" at first glance everything seems simple. In the large room are a young infanta, surrounded by ladies-in-waiting, a bodyguard, two dwarfs, a dog and an artist. But behind the painter, a mirror hangs on the wall, in which the king and queen are reflected. Whether the royal couple is in the room or not isone of the mysteries. There are many more, for a huge article. And not a single riddle is given a clear answer.

From Francisco Goya to Salvador Dali

Born in Zaragoza, Goya (1746-1828) becomes the official court painter, but then loses this place and receives the position of vice director of the Academy of Arts. In any capacity, Goya works hard and quickly, creating tapestries, portraits, painting churches, painting for the cathedral in Valencia. He works hard and hard all his life, changing like a master, moving from light festive compositions with rich colors to fast and sharp graphics, and if it is a painting, then dark and gloomy.

The drawing school in Spain is not dying, but the next artist of Spanish painting, a great master, will appear in 1881. This is Picasso. What is not marked by his work. These are the "blue" and "pink" periods, and cubism, and surrealism, and pacifism. Behind all his works is a subtle irony and a desire to sell. And he could draw. Creating portraits of his beloved during the cubist period, which were sold like hot cakes, for himself he paints her in the style of realism. And only after becoming a we althy person, he began to allow himself to draw as he wants.

His work "Don Quixote" (1955) is laconic. The knight himself, his squire, a horse, a donkey and several windmills are depicted. Don Quixote is light, weightless, and Rocinante is almost a bag of bones. In contrast, Sancho on the left is a black heavy mass. And although both figures stand still, the drawingfull of movement. The lines are energetic, catchy, full of humor.

Eccentric famous Spanish artist Salvador Dali. This man had everything for sale. And pictures, and diaries, and books. He made a fortune for himself thanks to the energetic help of his wife Elena Dyakonova, better known as Gala. She was both his muse and manager. Their union was very successful commercially.

Concluding this article on the topic of famous Spanish artists, I must say that they all had a personality as bright as the sun of Spain.