Spanish art

Painting and sculpture of Spain. Spanish art has been fashioned by both European and Islamic traditions, with notable regional adaptations. Whatever the source of its influences, Spanish art has always transformed styles and given them a distinctively Spanish character.

Historical background

Spain was under Roman dominance 218 BC–AD 414, and there are extensive Roman architectural remains and some mosaics and fragments of mural painting survive. The region was overrun by the Visigoths 414 and by the Arabs 711. The Visigoths contributed little to artistic development, crudely carrying on Roman traditions. The Arab civilization was brilliant and played an important part in the development of Spanish art and architecture.

9th–10th centuries

The origins of painting in Spain are traced in illuminated manuscripts and in the remains of mural decoration. Many manuscripts survive from the 9th and 10th centuries, reflecting strong Islamic and Byzantine influence in the style known as Mozarabic – the first genuinely Spanish national art.

11th–13th centuries

In the north of Spain, particularly in Cataluña, the Romanesque style took root and brought Spain more into the mainstream of European artistic development. Bold and colourful church frescoes were its finest expression – Spain has more surviving examples of fresco painting from that time than any other country. In the south, occupied by the Moors 711–1492, Islamic influence predominated.

13th–14th centuries

During this Gothic phase in Spanish art, the influence of Italian art, particularly the painting style of Siena, became pronounced. It can be seen clearly in the work of Ferrer Bassa, the first great identifiable Spanish painter and the founder of the Catalan school. An important school of manuscript illuminators grew up at the court of Alfonso X of Castile (reigned 1252–82), reflecting the French influence which became important in the early Gothic period.

15th century

The unification of Spain 1472 brought about a rapid development in the arts, largely due to the royal patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella. A Hispano-Flemish style flourished, based largely on Flemish painting (in particular the works of van Eyck and van der Weyden) but also on Moorish traditions. Fernando Gallego (c. 1440–after 1507) and Luis Dalmau (active 1428–60) were among its finest exponents. The influence of the Italian Renaissance can be seen in the works of the court painter Pedro Berruguete.

16th century

The full impact of the Italian Renaissance is evident in the paintings of Luis de Morales (died 1586), who was strongly influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, and the paintings and sculptures of Alonso Berruguete (the first important Spanish sculptor). The outstanding artist of the late 16th century – the first great figure in Spanish art – was El Greco, a Cretan whose Mannerist style drew on both Greek icon painting and the Venetian school. Other important painters of the 16th century were Juan de Juanes (c. 1523–1579), Juan de las Roelas (c. 1558–1625), and Luis de Vargas.

17th century

This period, which marked the transition from Mannerist to baroque, was dominated by sombre and intense religious art in a realist style. Painters include Ribera, Morillo, Zurbarán, Juan de Valdés Leal (1622–1690), Ribalta, and – the towering figure of the age – Velázquez.

Alonso Cano and Montañés (1568–1649) were the leading sculptors during the 17th century, the period when painted wooden statues, expressive of intense religious fervour, were a popular art form.

18th–19th centuries

With the advent of the Bourbons in the 18th century, foreign influence again made itself felt. A succession of foreign painters were established at the court, and regional characteristics tended to wane as Madrid grew in importance. Spanish individualism asserted itself once more in Goya, who completely dominated 18th-century Spanish art. His work exerted a great influence on European art in the 19th century, a period during which Spanish art declined, though Esquivel (1806–1857), López y Portaña, and Mariano Fortuny (1838–1874) produced notable work.

20th century

Spanish art became an important force in European art. Major figures, many of whom worked abroad, include Juan Gris, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, and Picasso, widely regarded as the most innovative artist of the century. Antoni Tàpies and Modesto Cuizart (born 1925) are among the leading Spanish artists of the second half of the 20th century.