It is more than beautiful pictures, this is a reflection of reality. In the works of great artists you can see how the world and the consciousness of people changed.

Art is also an attempt to create an alternative reality where you can hide from the horrors of your time, or a desire to change the world. The art of the 20th century rightfully occupies a special place in history. The people who lived and worked in those times experienced social upheavals, wars, and unprecedented developments in science; and all this found its mark on their canvases. 20th century artists took part in creating the modern vision of the world.

Some names are still pronounced with aspiration, while others are unfairly forgotten. Someone had such a controversial creative path that we still cannot give him an unambiguous assessment. This review is dedicated to the 20 greatest artists of the 20th century. Camille Pizarro- French painter. An outstanding representative of impressionism. The artist’s work was influenced by John Constable, Camille Corot, Jean Francois Millet.
Born July 10, 1830 in St. Thomas, died November 13, 1903 in Paris.

Hermitage at Pontoise, 1868

Opera passage in Paris, 1898

Sunset at Varengeville, 1899

Edgar Degas - French artist, one of the greatest impressionists. Degas' work was influenced by Japanese graphics. Born on July 19, 1834 in Paris, he died on September 27, 1917 in Paris.

Absinthe, 1876

Star, 1877

Woman combing her hair, 1885

Paul Cezanne - French artist, one of the greatest representatives of post-impressionism. In his work he strove to reveal the harmony and balance of nature. His work had a tremendous influence on the worldview of artists of the 20th century.
Born January 19, 1839 in Aix-en-Provence, France, died October 22, 1906 in Aix-en-Provence.

Gamblers, 1893

Modern Olympia, 1873

Still life with skulls, 1900

Claude Monet- an outstanding French painter. One of the founders of impressionism. In his works, Monet sought to convey the richness and richness of the surrounding world. Its late period is characterized by decorativeism and
The late period of Monet’s work was characterized by decorativeism, an increasing dissolution of object forms in sophisticated combinations of color spots.
Born November 14, 1840 in Paris, died December 5, 1926 in Jverny.

Welk Cliff at Pourville, 1882

After Lunch, 1873-1876

Etretat, sunset, 1883

Arkhip Kuindzhi - famous Russian artist, master of landscape painting. Lost his parents early. WITH early years A love for painting began to manifest itself. The work of Arkhip Kuindzhi had a huge influence on Nicholas Roerich.
Born on January 15, 1841 in Mariupol, died on July 11, 1910 in St. Petersburg.

"Volga", 1890-1895

"North", 1879

"View of the Kremlin from Zamoskvorechye", 1882

Pierre Auguste Renoir - French artist, graphic artist, sculptor, one of the outstanding representatives of impressionism. He was also known as a master of secular portraiture. Auguste Rodin was the first impressionist to become popular among wealthy Parisians.
Born on February 25, 1841 in Limoges, France, died on December 2, 1919 in Paris.

Pont des Arts in Paris, 1867

Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, 1876

Jeanne Samari, 1877

Paul Gauguin- French artist, sculptor, ceramicist, graphic artist. Along with Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh, he is one of the most prominent representatives of post-impressionism. The artist lived in poverty because his paintings were not in demand.
Born June 7, 1848 in Paris, died May 8, 1903 on the island of Hiva Oa, French Polynesia.

Breton landscape, 1894

Breton village in snow, 1888

Are you jealous? 1892

Saints' Day, 1894

Wassily Kandinsky - Russian and German artist, poet, art theorist. Considered one of the leaders of the avant-garde of the 1st half of the 20th century. He is one of the founders of abstract art.
Born on November 22, 1866 in Moscow, died on December 13, 1944 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Couple riding on horseback, 1918

A colorful life, 1907

Moscow 1, 1916

In grey, 1919

Henri Matisse - one of the greatest French painters and sculptors. One of the founders of the Fauvist movement. In his work, he strived to convey emotions through color. In his work he was influenced by the Islamic culture of the Western Maghreb. Born on December 31, 1869 in the city of Le Cateau, he died on November 3, 1954 in the town of Cimiez.

Square in Saint-Tropez, 1904

Outline of Notre Dame at night, 1902

Woman with a Hat, 1905

Dance, 1909

Italian, 1919

Portrait of Delectorskaya, 1934

Nicholas Roerich- Russian artist, writer, scientist, mystic. During his life he painted more than 7,000 paintings. One of the outstanding cultural figures of the 20th century, founder of the “Peace through Culture” movement.
Born on October 27, 1874 in St. Petersburg, died on December 13, 1947 in the city of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Overseas guests, 1901

The Great Spirit of the Himalayas, 1923

Message from Shambhala, 1933

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin - Russian artist, graphic artist, theorist, writer, teacher. He was one of the ideologists of the reorganization of art education in the USSR.
Born on November 5, 1878 in the city of Khvalynsk, Saratov province, died on February 15, 1939 in Leningrad.

“1918 in Petrograd”, 1920

"Boys at Play", 1911

Bathing the Red Horse, 1912

Portrait of Anna Akhmatova

Kazimir Malevich- Russian artist, founder of Suprematism - a movement in abstract art, teacher, art theorist and philosopher
Born on February 23, 1879 in Kyiv, died on May 15, 1935 in Moscow.

Rest (Society in Top Hat), 1908

"Peasant women with buckets", 1912-1913

Black Suprematist Square, 1915

Suprematist painting, 1916

On the boulevard, 1903

Pablo Picasso- Spanish artist, sculptor, sculptor, ceramic designer. One of the founders of Cubism. The work of Pablo Picasso had a significant influence on the development of painting in the 20th century. According to a survey of Time magazine readers
Born October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain, died April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France.

Girl on a ball, 1905

Portrait of Ambroise Vallors, 1910

Three Graces

Portrait of Olga

Dance, 1919

Woman with a flower, 1930

Amadeo Modigliani- Italian artist, sculptor. One of the brightest representatives of expressionism. During his lifetime he had only one exhibition in December 1917 in Paris. Born July 12, 1884 in Livorno, Italy, died January 24, 1920 from tuberculosis. World recognition received posthumously; received worldwide recognition posthumously.

Cellist, 1909

The couple, 1917

Joan Hebuterne, 1918

Mediterranean landscape, 1918

Diego Rivera- Mexican painter, muralist, politician. He was the husband of Frida Kahlo. I found shelter in their house a short time Leon Trotsky.
Born December 8, 1886 in Guanajuato, died December 21, 1957 in Mexico City.

Notre Dame de Paris in the rain, 1909

Woman at the Well, 1913

Union of Peasants and Workers, 1924

Detroit Industry, 1932

Marc Chagall- Russian and French painter, graphic artist, illustrator, theater artist. One of the greatest representatives of the avant-garde.
Born on June 24, 1887 in the city of Liozno, Mogilev province, died on March 28, 1985 in Saint-Paul-de-Provence.

Anyuta (Portrait of a Sister), 1910

Bride with a fan, 1911

Me and the Village, 1911

Adam and Eve, 1912

Mark Rothko(present Mark Rothkovich) - American artist, one of the founders of abstract expressionism and the founder of color field painting.
The artist's first works were created in a realistic spirit, however, then by the mid-40s, Mark Rothko turned to surrealism. By 1947, a major turning point occurred in the work of Mark Rothko; he created his own style - abstract expressionism, in which he moved away from objective elements.
Born on September 25, 1903 in the city of Dvinsk (now Daugavpils), died on February 25, 1970 in New York.

Untitled

Number 7 or 11

Orange and yellow

Salvador Dali- painter, graphic artist, sculptor, writer, designer, director. Perhaps the most famous representative of surrealism and one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
Designed by Chupa Chups.
Born May 11, 1904 in Figueres, Spain, died January 23, 1989 in Spain.

Temptation of Saint Anthony, 1946

Last Supper, 1955

Woman with a Head of Roses, 1935

My wife Gala, naked, looking at her body, 1945

Frida Kahlo - Mexican artist and graphic artist, one of the brightest representatives of surrealism.
Frida Kahlo began painting after a car accident, which left her bedridden for a year.
She was married to the famous Mexican communist artist Diego Rivera. Leon Trotsky found refuge in their house for a short time.
Born July 6, 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico, died July 13, 1954 in Coyoacan.

Embrace of Universal Love, Earth, Me, Diego and Coatl, 1949

Moses (Core of Creation), 1945

Two Fridas, 1939

Andy Warhole(present Andrei Varhola) - American artist, designer, director, producer, publisher, writer, collector. The founder of pop art, is one of the most controversial personalities in the history of culture. Several films have been made based on the artist’s life.
Born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died in 1963 in New York.

Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish Artists)

Spain (Spanish: España).
Spain Country Spain.
Spain State of Spain.

SPAIN!
In ancient times this country was called Iberia!
The Greeks called Spain Hesperia - the land of the evening star, and the Romans called it Hispania.!
But no matter what Spain is called, it is a country that has always aroused and continues to arouse admiration and surprise!

The official name of the state of Spain is the Kingdom of Spain.
The Kingdom of Spain is a state in southwestern Europe. The Kingdom of Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east.
Spain It is believed that the name of the country comes from the Phoenician expression “i-spanim”, which means “coast of rabbits”.
Spain Capital of the Kingdom of Spain, Madrid
Spain The largest cities in Spain are: Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga
Spain The Kingdom of Spain borders:
in the west of the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal;
in the south of the Iberian Peninsula with the British possession of Gibraltar;
in northern Africa from Morocco (enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla);
in the north with France and Andorra.
Spain Today, the Kingdom of Spain is home to more than 45 million people.
Spain The main national holiday in the Kingdom of Spain is Spanish Nation Day, which is celebrated annually on October 12 (Spanish Nation Day was chosen as the date of the discovery of America by the most famous Spaniard, Christopher Columbus!).

Spain History of Spain
Spain Ancient history of Spain Primitive society
Spain Primitive society The first traces of the appearance of man in the north of the Iberian Peninsula date back to the end of the Paleolithic. Stylized drawings of animals on cave walls appeared approximately 15 thousand years BC. e. The best preserved paintings are in Altamira and Puente Viesgo near Santander.
Spain Primitive society In the south and east of the territory of modern Spain in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Iberian tribes appeared. Some hypotheses suggest that the Iberian tribes came here from North Africa. From these tribes comes the ancient name of the peninsula - Iberian. In the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. The Iberians began to settle in fortified villages in what is now Castile. And five centuries later they were joined by Celtic and Germanic tribes.
Spain Primitive society The Iberians were mainly engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and hunting, and knew how to make tools from copper and bronze. The Iberians had their own written language. The Celts and Iberians lived side by side, sometimes uniting, but more often fighting each other, and eventually created the Celtiberian culture, becoming famous as warriors. It was here that the double-edged sword was invented, which later became the standard weapon of the Roman army.

Spain History of Spain Ancient Spain
Spain History of ancient Spain The first colonies on the territory of modern Spain belonged to the Phoenicians. Around 1100 BC e. The Phoenicians settled on the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, where they founded their colonies of Malaca, Gadir (Cadiz), Cordoba and many others.
Spain History of ancient Spain The ancient Greeks founded colonies on the east coast of modern Spain (modern Costa Brava). After 680 BC. e. the city of Carthage became the main center of Phoenician civilization, and the Carthaginians established a trade monopoly in the Strait of Gibraltar. Iberian cities were founded on the east coast, reminiscent of the Greek city-states.
Spain History of ancient Spain In Andalusia, from the first half to the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. There was a state of Tartessus. There is still no sufficiently indisputable version regarding the origin of the inhabitants of Tartessus - the Turdetans, obviously close to the Iberians, but standing at a higher stage of development.
Spain History of ancient Spain In the V-IV centuries BC. e. the influence of Carthage is increasing; the Carthage Empire at that time occupied most of Andalusia and the Mediterranean coast. The largest Carthaginian colony on the Iberian Peninsula was New Carthage (modern Cartagena).
Spain History of ancient Spain At the end of the First Punic War, Hamilcar and Hannibal subjugated the south and east of the peninsula to the Carthaginians (237-219 BC). The defeat of the Carthaginians (whose troops were led by Hannibal) in the Second Punic War in 210 BC. e. paved the way for the establishment of Roman rule on the Iberian Peninsula. The Carthaginians finally lost their possessions after the victories of Scipio the Elder (206 BC).
Spain History of ancient Spain The Romans tried to bring the entire territory of the Iberian Peninsula under their citizenship, but they succeeded only after 200 years of bloody wars. The Celtiberians and Lusitanians (under the leadership of Viriatus) resisted especially stubbornly, and the Cantabri only in 19 BC. e. were conquered by Emperor Augustus, who divided Spain instead of the previous two provinces (Hispania citerior and Hispania ulterior) into three - Lusitania, Betica and Tarraconian Spain. From the latter, Emperor Hadrian separated Gallaecia, with Asturias.
Spain The history of ancient Spain and the Roman Empire gave a new powerful impetus to the development of Spain. Roman influence was strongest in Andalusia, southern Portugal and the Catalan coast near Tarragona. The Basques were never completely Romanized, while other pre-Roman peoples of Iberia were assimilated by the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. e.
Spain History of ancient Spain and the Roman Empire During their reign, the Romans built many military roads across Spain and established numerous military settlements (colonies). Spain in that period quickly became Romanized, even becoming one of the centers of Roman culture and one of the most flourishing parts of the Roman Empire, to which Spain gave its best emperors (Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, Theodosius) and wonderful writers (both Senecas, Lucan, Pomponia Melu, Martial, Quintilian and many others).
Spain History of ancient Spain and the Roman Empire On the territory of Spain, trade flourished, industry and agriculture stood on high degree development, the population was very large (according to Pliny the Elder, under Vespasian there were 360 ​​cities here).
Spain History of ancient Spain For the first two centuries AD, the source of the country's wealth was gold from Spanish mines. Villas were built in Merida and Cordoba public buildings, and residents used roads, bridges and aqueducts for many centuries. Several bridges in Segovia and Tarragona have survived to this day.
Spain History of Ancient Spain The three living Spanish languages ​​have their roots in Latin, and Roman law became the basis of the Spanish legal system. Christianity appeared on the peninsula very early, and for some time Christian communities were subjected to severe persecution.
Spain History of ancient Spain In the 5th century AD. e. Barbarians poured into the Iberian Peninsula - the Germanic tribes of the Suevi, Vandals, Visigoths and the Sarmatian tribe of Alans, which accelerated the collapse of the already declining Roman Empire.
Spain History of ancient Spain In 415, the Visigoths appeared in Spain, first as allies of the Romans. Gradually, the Visigoths drove the Vandals and Alans into northern Africa and created a kingdom with its capital in Barcelona and then Toledo. The Suevi settled in the northwest in Galicia, creating the Suevian Kingdom.
Spain History of ancient Spain The Visigothic state suffered from many shortcomings that undermined its existence; From Roman times, enormous social inequality was inherited between the few owners of huge latifundia and the mass of the population, ruined by taxes and oppressed; the Catholic clergy acquired excessive power and, in alliance with the nobility, prevented the strengthening of a firm order of succession to the throne, in order to narrow the limits of royal power as much as possible with the election of each new king; a new class of dissatisfied people arose as a result of the forced conversion of Jews (according to Gibbon, the number of forced converts reached 30,000).
Spain History of ancient Spain Despite all the difficulties, the Visigoths, making up only about 4% of the population, in the 6th century AD. e. They annexed the Suevi to their kingdom, and by the 8th century they ousted the Byzantines (who had settled in the south and southeast of the peninsula in the middle of the 6th century).
Spain History of ancient Spain The three-hundred-year rule of the Visigoths on the territory of the Iberian (Perinean) Peninsula left a significant mark on the culture of the peninsula, but did not lead to the creation one nation. The Visigothic system of electing a monarch created favorable conditions for conspiracies and intrigues. Although in 589 the Visigothic king Reccared I converted to Catholicism, this did not eliminate all contradictions; religious strife only intensified. TO 7th century all non-Christians, especially Jews, were faced with a choice: exile or conversion to Christianity.

Spain History of Spain Byzantine Spain
Spain Byzantine Spain was conquered from the Visigothic kingdom by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. The springboard for the invasion of Visigothic Spain was the lands of the Vandal kingdom in North Africa, defeated by the Byzantines, including the fortress of Ceuta. The Byzantine army managed to advance 150-200 km deep into the Iberian Peninsula, subjugating the Guadalquivir Valley, Andalusia and the southern coastal strip from the Algarve to Valencia. Byzantine Spain also included the Balearic Islands, which, due to their more eastern geographical location The influences of Byzantine culture itself were most strongly felt.
Spain Byzantine Spain The capital of the province was probably Cordoba, then Cartagena and/or Malaga. The vast majority of the population of Byzantine Spain, as well as Spain as a whole, were Romance-speaking Spanish-Romans (Ibero-Romans). Representatives of German Arianism, Western (Roman) and Eastern (Constantinople) Orthodox Christianity (including Orthodoxy) coexisted in the region. Relations between representatives of the three faiths were rather cool, although not as antagonistic as in Visigothic Spain.
Spain Byzantine Spain Until now, the boundaries of the territory occupied by the Byzantines in Spain are not precisely known, although a formal agreement on the existence of a border between Byzantine and Visigothic possessions was drawn up around 555. It provided for free crossing of the border in any direction, which the strengthened Visigothic kings soon took advantage of. Very soon the Visigoths began to carry out predatory raids across the countryside and only isolated fortified cities recognized the authority of the Byzantine emperor or his governor.
Spain Byzantine Spain In 568 - 586, Leovigild captured almost all of Byzantium's inland possessions in Spain. After this, Byzantium controlled only a narrow coastal strip south of the Sierra Nevada mountains. By 624, the Visigoths captured the last Byzantine cities, but already in 711, Spain was covered by a wave of Arab invasion under the banner of Islam.

Spain History of Spain Muslim rule Moors
Spain History of Spain In 711, one of the Visigothic clans called for help from Arabs and Berbers from northern Africa, who were later called the Moors. The Mauritanian corps was led by Tariq ibn Ziyad (the name Gibraltar comes from his name - a corruption of “Jabal Tariq” - “Tariq’s Rock”). The Arabs crossed from Africa to Spain and with a victory near Jerez de la Frontera, on the river called Wadi Bekka by the Arabs, they put an end to the Visigothic state that had existed for almost 300 years. Almost all of Spain was conquered by the Arabs in a short time and formed part of the large Umayyad caliphate.
Spain History of Spain The rapid conquest of the peninsula by the Moors in just a few years is an amazing example of the rapid spread of Islam. Despite the desperate resistance of the Visigoths, ten years later only the mountainous regions of Asturias remained unconquered.
Spain History of Spain Until the middle of the 8th century, the Moorish territories were part of the Umayyad Caliphate; the name of the Moorish state Al-Andalus, the territory of which either increased or decreased, dates back to the same time, depending on the successes of the Reconquista.
Spain History of Spain The Arabs (Moors) at first treated the population of conquered Spain very mercifully and spared their property, language and religion. Their dominance eased the situation of the lower classes and Jews, and the transition to Islam provided slaves and forced laborers with freedom. Many of the free and noble people also accepted the new faith, and soon the majority of Arab subjects belonged to it. At the same time, the Moors were very tolerant of Christians and Jews, granted autonomy to various regions and made a huge contribution to the development of Spanish culture, creating a unique style in architecture and fine arts.

Spain History of Spain Reconquista
Spain History of Spain The Christian Reconquista (translated as “reconquest”) is a continuous centuries-long war against the Moors, started by part of the Visigothic nobility under the leadership of Pelayo. In 718, the advance of the Moorish expeditionary force at Covadonga was stopped.
Spain History of Spain Pelayo's grandson Alfonso I (739-757), son of the first Cantabrian Duke Pedro and Pelayo's daughter, united Cantabria with Asturias. In the mid-8th century, Asturian Christians under the leadership of King Alfonso I, taking advantage of the Berber uprising, occupied neighboring Galicia. In Galicia, the tomb of St. James (Santiago) was said to have been discovered, and Santiago de Compostela becomes a center of pilgrimage.
Spain History of Spain Alfonso II (791-842) launched devastating raids against the Arabs as far as the Tagus River and conquered the Basque country and Galicia as far as the Minho River. At the same time, in the north-west of Spain, the Franks, under Charlemagne, stopped the advance of Muslims into Europe and created the Spanish March (the border area between the possessions of the Franks and Arabs) in the north-east of the peninsula, which broke up in the 9th-11th centuries into the counties of Navarre, Aragon and Barcelona (in 1137 Aragon and Barcelona united to form the Kingdom of Aragon) and ensured, through numerous migrations, the dominance of Christianity in Catalonia. In almost continuous wars with infidels, a brave feudal nobility emerged. To the north of the Duero and Ebro, four groups of Christian dominions gradually formed, with legislative assemblies and rights (fueros) recognized for the estates:
1) in the northwest, Asturias, Leon and Galicia, which in the 10th century under Ordoño II and Ramiro II were united into the kingdom of Leon, and in 1057, after a short subordination to Navarre, by the son of Sanho the Great, Fernando, united into the kingdom of Castile;
2) the Basque country, together with the neighboring region, Garcia, was proclaimed the Kingdom of Navarra, which, under Sancho the Great (970-1035), extended its power to all of Christian Spain, in 1076-1134 it was united with Aragon, but then freed again;
3) the country on the left bank of the Ebro, Aragon, an independent kingdom since 1035;
4) the hereditary margraviate of Barcelona, ​​or Catalonia, which arose from the Spanish mark. Despite this fragmentation, the Christian states were not inferior in power to the Arabs.
Spain The history of Spain The Reconquista led to the fact that Spanish peasants and city dwellers who fought alongside the knights received significant benefits. Most of the peasants did not experience serfdom, free peasant communities arose on the liberated lands of Castile, and cities (especially in the 12th-13th centuries) received greater rights.
Spain History of Spain When, after the fall of the Umayyad dynasty (1031), the Arab state fell apart, the County of Leon-Asturias under the rule of Ferdinad I received the status of a kingdom and became the main stronghold of the Reconquista. In the north, at the same time, the Basques founded Navarre, and Aragon merged with Catalonia as a result of a dynastic marriage. In 1085, Christians captured Toledo, and then Talavera, Madrid and other cities fell under Christian rule. The Almoravids, summoned from Africa by the Emir of Seville, gave new strength to Islam with victories at Sallak (1086) and Ucles (1108) and again united Arab Spain; but the religious fervor and military courage of Christians at the same time received a new impetus from the Crusades.
Spain History of Spain The Almoravids (1090-1145) briefly stopped the spread of the Reconquista. The period of their reign includes the exploits of the legendary knight Cid Campeador, who conquered lands in Valencia in 1095 and became a national hero of Spain.
Spain History of Spain In 1147, the African Almoravids, overthrown by the Almohads, turned to Christians for help, who took possession of Almeria and Tortosa on this occasion. The Spanish knightly orders (Calatrava from 1158, San Iago de Compostella from 1175, Alcantara from 1176) fought especially successfully against the Almohads, who subjugated southern Spain, and made up for the defeat at Alarcos (1195) with a victory at Las Navas de Tolosa (July 16, 1212). This was the most impressive victory over the Almohads, won by the united kings of Leon, Castile, Aragon and Navarre. This was soon followed by the fall of Almogad power.
Spain History of Spain At the Battle of Merida (1230), Extremadura was taken from the Arabs; after the Battle of Jerez de Guadiana (1233), Ferdinand III of Castile led his army to Cordoba in 1236, and twelve years later to Seville. The Portuguese kingdom expanded almost to its present size, and the king of Aragon conquered Valencia, Alicante and the Balearic Islands. Muslims moved in thousands to Africa and to Grenada or Murcia, but these states also had to recognize the supremacy of Castile. The Muslims who remained under Castilian rule more and more accepted the religion and customs of the victors; many rich and noble Arabs, having been baptized, joined the ranks of the Spanish aristocracy. By the end of the 13th century, only the Emirate of Grenada remained on the peninsula, forced to pay tribute.
Spain History of Spain While the external power of Castile greatly increased thanks to the victories of Ferdinand III, unrest raged within the country, which, especially during the reign of the patron of science and art, Alfonso X the Wise (1252-1284) and his immediate successors, served as a source of unrest and increased power nobility. Crown lands were stolen by private individuals; communities, unions and powerful nobles resorted to lynching and were freed from all power.
Spain History of Spain In Aragon, James I (Jaime, 1213-1276) subjugated the Balearics and Valencia and penetrated as far as Murcia. The son of James I, Pedro III (1276-1285), successfully continued the work begun by his father. Pedro III took Sicily from the House of Anjou. Later, James II (1291-1327) conquered Sardinia and in 1319, at the Diet of Tarragona, established the indivisibility of the state.
Spain History of Spain These conquests cost the Aragonese kings many concessions to the estates, of which the Zaragoza “general privilege” of 1283 is especially important. In 1287, Alfonso III added to it the “privilege of union,” which recognized the right of subjects to rebel if their freedom was violated. In both states the clergy was the most powerful class; victories over the infidels increased his rights and wealth, and his influence on the lower classes of the people aroused in them a spirit of persecution and fanaticism. The highest nobility included among its rights the right to refuse obedience to the king. All nobles were free from taxes. Cities and rural communities had their own special rights (fueros), recognized for them by special treaties. In both states, the estates gathered in sejms (Cortes), who deliberated on the well-being and security of the country, on laws and taxes. Trade and industry were protected by provident laws. The royal court patronized the poetry of the troubadours. Most of all, the internal improvement of the state advanced in Aragon under Pedro IV (1336-1387), who eliminated some of the painful aspects of noble privileges, among other things, the law of war. Thanks to these measures, when the old dynasty died out (1410), the Castilian dynasty came to the throne in the person of Ferdinand I (1414-1416), who retained power over the Baleares, Sardinia and Sicily and for a short time took possession of Navarre.
Spain History of Spain In Castile, on the contrary, the highest nobility and knightly orders dominated. The cities' desire for independence from the feudal aristocracy was unsuccessful due to the tyranny of Pedro the Cruel (1350-1369). Either the French or the British intervened in the discord it caused. By the 14th century, the temporary alliances of the Christian kingdoms had disintegrated, and each began to pursue its own personal interests. Henry II (1369-1379), who took possession of Vizcaya, and John I (1379-1390) weakened the kingdom with fruitless attempts to conquer Portugal, but the two-year war ended with the defeat of the Castilian army in 1385 when Portugal victoriously defended its independence at the Battle of Aljubarrota.
Spain History of Spain Nevertheless, victories over the Arabs took their course: in 1340, Alfonso XI won a brilliant victory at Salado, and four years later, Grenada was cut off from Africa by the conquest of Algeziras.
Spain History of Spain Henry III (1390-1406) restored order and took possession of the Canary Islands. Once again Castile was thrown into disarray by the long and weak reign of Juan II (1406-1454). The unrest that increased under Henry IV ceased with the accession of his sister Isabella to the throne. She defeated King Alfonso of Portugal and subdued her rebellious subjects with weapons.

Spain History of Spain Unification of Spain into the Kingdom of Spain
Spain History of Spain In 1469, a significant event for the future of Spain took place: the marriage between Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, whom Pope Alexander VI called “Catholic kings.” Ferdinand II of Aragon, after the death of his father, John II of Aragon, inherited the Kingdom of Aragon in 1479; the union of the Castilian and Aragonese crowns marked the beginning of the Kingdom of Spain. However, the political unification of Spain was completed only at the end of the 15th century; Navarre was annexed in 1512.
Spain History of Spain In 1478, Ferdinand and Isabella established an ecclesiastical court - the Inquisition, designed to protect the purity of the Catholic faith. The persecution of Jews, Muslims, and later Protestants began. Several thousand suspected heretics were tortured and ended their lives at the stake (auto-da-fé - initially the announcement, and then the execution of the sentence, in particular, public burning at the stake). In 1492, the head of the Inquisition, the Dominican priest Tomaso Torquemada, convinced Ferdinand and Isabella to persecute non-Christian converts throughout the country. Torquemada burned in the fires of the Inquisition the Anusim - (en: Anusim - “forced”), Jews who were forced to convert to another religion, but who, to one degree or another, complied with the precepts of Judaism. Many Jews fled Spain, but the Jews still lived better than other Catholics and held high positions, for example, Don Isaac Abarbanel was the Minister of Finance at the court of the Spanish king.
Spain History of Spain To put an end to wrongdoing on the part of the nobility, the ancient brotherhood of Germandad was restored. The highest positions were placed at the disposal of the king. The highest Catholic clergy was subject to royal jurisdiction. Ferdinand was elected Grand Master of three orders of chivalry, turning them into obedient instruments of the crown. The Inquisition helped the government keep the nobility and people in obedience. The administration was reorganized, royal income was increased, part of it went to encourage the sciences and arts. In 1492, numerous Jews (160,000 thousand) were expelled from the state.
Spain History of Spain With the conquest of Grenada by Spain (January 2, 1492), the time of the Reconquista ends. And in the same year, Christopher Columbus reached America and founded Spanish colonies there. The discovery of America provided Spain with a wide field of activity on the other side of the ocean.

Spain History of Spain Golden Age of Spain
Spain Golden Age of Spain The end of the Reconquista and the beginning of the conquest of America allowed Spain to briefly become the politically strongest power in Europe. The ambitions of the numerous Spanish nobility (hidalgos) and the inspiration from the success of the centuries-old “holy war” under the banner of the Catholic faith made the Spanish army one of the strongest in the world and demanded new military victories.
Spain Golden Age of Spain Already in the wars for Italy in 1504, Naples was conquered by Spain. The heir of Ferdinand and Isabella was their eldest daughter Juana, who married Philip I, son of Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg. When Philip died young in 1506 and Juana went mad, Ferdinand was appointed guardian of her son Charles by the Castilian estates, who conquered Oran in 1509 and annexed Navarre to Spain in 1512. After the death of Ferdinand (1516), Cardinal Jimenez took over the regency until the arrival of the young king Charles I, who took over in person in 1517. Charles of the House of Habsburg in 1519, under the name of Charles V, also became Holy Roman Emperor.
Spain Golden Age of Spain When Charles was elected German Emperor in 1519 (as Charles V) and therefore left Spain again (1520), there was an indignation among the Comuneros - a protest against the absolutism of Charles and his Dutch advisers in the name of the national institutions of Iberia. But with the victory of the noble militia at Villalar (April 21, 1521) and the execution of Padilla, the uprising was pacified.
Spain Golden Age of Spain After the suppression of the uprising, Charles V issued a complete amnesty. But at the same time, he took advantage of the fear that the Comuneros movement brought to the nobility in order to narrow the old benefits and liberties. The Cortes turned out to be incapable of opposing the government, the nobility began to look at loyalty as their main duty, and the people patiently submitted to the royal power and its plans of conquest. The Cortes unquestioningly began to supply Charles V with money for the war with France, enterprises against the Moors in Africa, and the suppression of the League of Schmalkalden in Germany. For the Habsburgs and for the spread of the Roman Catholic faith, Spanish troops fought on the banks of the Po and Elbe, in Mexico and Peru.
Spain Golden Age of Spain Meanwhile, in Spain itself, hardworking Moriscos were oppressed and expelled, thousands of Spaniards were sent to the stake by the Inquisition, every attempt at freedom was suppressed. Industry, trade and agriculture of the Spanish kingdom were destroyed by an arbitrary tax system. Not only the nobility, but also peasants and townspeople, strived for war and public service. This policy has led to the fact that most people in other urban and rural activities looked with contempt. The Church owned large areas of land, which came to it to the detriment of the direct heirs. These lands were deserted or turned into pastures, and the amount of cultivated land decreased more and more. Trade passed into the hands of foreigners, who benefited from both Spain and its colonies. When Charles V resigned his crown in 1556, the Austrian Habsburg dominions and Spain were again separated from each other. Spain retained only the Netherlands, Franche-Comté, Milan, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia in Europe. The goals of Spanish policy remained the same. Spain became the center of Catholic reactionary politics.
Spain Golden Age of Spain At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish colonial empire emerged (based on colonial conquests in America). The Spanish Empire reached its height in the 16th century with the expansion of colonies in South and Central America and the capture of Portugal in 1580.

Spain History of Spain The Spanish kingdom became the owner of vast colonies. Revenues from the colonization of the New World were directed by the Spanish crown mainly to achieve political goals, which were the restoration of the dominance of the Catholic Church in Europe and the dominance of the Habsburgs in European politics.
Spain History of Spain In parallel with this, in Spain there is a rapid stratification of the property of the nobility, whose elite is discovering a taste for luxury. However, the influx of gold from overseas did not contribute to the development of the country's economy; numerous Spanish cities remained primarily political, but not trade and craft centers.
Spain History of Spain Trade and craft were concentrated in the hands of the descendants of the Muslim population, the Moriscos.
Spain History of Spain Ultimately, the financing of wars and the needs of the court and the Spanish nobility occurred through a constant increase in the tax burden, confiscation of the property of “unreliable” sections of society, primarily the Moriscos, as well as internal and external loans, often forced (damage to coins, “donatives” ). All this worsened the situation of the population and further suppressed the development of trade and crafts, exacerbating the economic and then political lag of Spain from the Protestant countries of North-Western Europe.

Spain History of Spain Economic decline of Spain
Spain History of Spain From mid-16th century century, Spain began to experience an economic decline. Tough, ill-conceived foreign and domestic policies. Continuous wars and exorbitant (and at the same time regressive) taxes inevitably led Spain to a serious economic decline.
Spain History of Spain The son of Charles V, Philip II, decides to move the capital of the kingdom from Toledo to Madrid, which required a large expenditure of resources and meant a new era in the political history of Spain. Spanish absolutism began to suppress the relatively broad rights of estates, provinces and religious minorities that had remained since the Reconquista. The Catholic Church and the Inquisition turned out to be closely connected with the state apparatus and acted as its repressive instruments. In 1568, there was a Moorish uprising, which was suppressed two years later after a bloody war. 400 thousand Moriscos were evicted from Grenada to other parts of the country.
Spain History of Spain The progressive decomposition of the state apparatus, which served as an instrument for enriching the nobility, led to a decline in the quality of internal and external governance and a weakening of the Spanish army. Despite defeating the Turks at Lepanto in 1571, Spain lost control of Tunisia. The Duke of Alba's policy of terror and violence in the Netherlands led to an uprising of the local population, which the Spanish crown, despite enormous expenses, was unable to suppress. The attempt to return England to the fold of the Catholic Church ended with the death of the “invincible armada” in 1588. Spanish intervention in religious strife in France only led to a deterioration in relations between the two countries and the strengthening of the French monarchy.

Spain History of Spain Economic decline of Spain
Spain History of Spain After the death of the Spanish King Philip II, government for a long time ended up in the hands of various factions of the nobility. Under King Philip III (1598-1621), the country was ruled by the Duke of Lerma, as a result of whose policies the once richest state in Europe became bankrupt in 1607. The reason for this was the colossal costs of maintaining the army, part of which was appropriated by senior officials, led by Lerma himself. The Kingdom was forced to conclude peace agreements with the Netherlands, France and England. In 1609, the eviction of the Moriscos from Spain began, but the proceeds from the confiscation of their property did not compensate for the subsequent decline in trade and the desolation of many cities led by Valencia.
Spain History of Spain Under Philip IV, the foreign and domestic policy of the state was led by the greedy and intolerant Duke of Olivares. Spain intervenes in another conflict between Austria and the Protestants of Central Europe, which resulted in the Thirty Years' War. The entry of Catholic France into the war deprived the conflict of religious grounds and led to catastrophic consequences for Spain. Massive discontent with high taxes and the arbitrariness of the central authorities caused uprisings in a number of Spanish provinces; in 1640, Catalonia broke away from the crown, followed by the separation of Portugal. At the cost of abandoning centralization and the loss of Portugal, the government managed to keep Spain from disintegrating, but it ended its previous foreign policy ambitions. In 1648, Spain recognized the independence of the Netherlands and the equality of Protestants in Germany. According to the Peace of the Pyrenees (1659), Spain ceded Rousillon, Perpignan and part of the Netherlands to France, and Dunkirchen and Jamaica to England.
Spain History of Spain During the reign of the seriously ill King Charles II (1665-1700), Spain turned from a subject of European politics into an object of territorial claims of France and lost a number of possessions in Central Europe. Spain was saved from the annexation of Catalonia by France only by an alliance with its recent enemies - England and the Netherlands. The Spanish economy and its state apparatus fell into complete decline. By the end of the reign of King Charles II, many cities and territories were depopulated. Due to a lack of money, many provinces returned to barter trade. Despite extremely high taxes, the once luxurious Madrid courtyard found himself unable to pay for his own maintenance, often even for a royal meal.

Spain History of Spain Bourbon Era
Spain History of Spain With the death of Charles II in November 1700 without heirs, the question of who should be the new king led to the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) between France and Austria with its allies, chief among them England. France placed Philip V of Bourbon (grandson of Louis XIV), who remained king at the cost of ceding possessions in the Netherlands and Italy to Austria. For many decades, the political life of Spain began to be determined by the interests of its northern neighbor.
Spain History of Spain The accession of the Bourbons to the royal throne of Spain meant the arrival of immigrants from France and Italy, led by Alberoni, to government positions, which contributed to some improvement of the state apparatus. Following the model of French absolutism, taxation was centralized and provincial privileges were abolished. Attempts to limit the rights of the Catholic Church, the only structure that enjoyed broad public confidence, failed. In foreign policy, Bourbon Spain followed in the footsteps of France and took part with it in the Polish and Austrian wars, which were costly to the treasury. As a result, Spain received Naples and Parma, which immediately went to the younger lines of the Spanish Bourbons.
Spain History of Spain In the mid-18th century, during the reign of Ferdinand VI, a number of important reforms were carried out in the country. Taxes were lowered, the state apparatus was updated, and by the concordat of 1753 the rights of the Catholic clergy, primarily financial, were significantly limited. Further reforms of Carlos III (1759-88) in the spirit of the Enlightenment and his ministers Aranda, Floridablanca and Campomanes led to positive results. In Catalonia and some port cities, the development of manufacturing began, and transatlantic trade with the colonies flourished. However, the development of industry and transport in the country, due to the complete economic decline of the previous time, was possible only by the state and required large loans. At the same time, the crown's finances were depleted by the need to support and protect the colonies and participation in the wars waged by France.
Spain History of Spain With the accession of Charles IV, weak and incapable of state affairs, the state of affairs in Spain worsened again, and actual power passed into the hands of Queen Godoy's favorite. The revolution in France forced Spain to come out in defense of the overthrown Bourbons. However, the war with revolutionary France was fought by Spain inactively and led to the French invasion of the north of the country. Economic and political weakness led Spain to sign the extremely unfavorable Treaty of San Ildefonso (1796), which required Spain to take part in the war against England. Despite the obvious inferiority of the Spanish army and navy and the series of subsequent defeats, Spain remained in an alliance with Napoleonic France until the remnants of the Spanish fleet were destroyed at Trafalgar (October 20, 1805). Skillfully using Godoy's ambition, Napoleon, promising him the Portuguese crown, achieved the conclusion of another military alliance between France and Spain.
Spain History of Spain This decision, plunging an exhausted and on the verge of famine Spain into a new war of foreign interests, sparked a popular uprising against Godoy, which led to the abdication of King Charles IV on March 18, 1808 in favor of his son Hernando. However, the new king, Hernando VII, was summoned by Napoleon to negotiations with his father, which, under French military and political pressure, ended with the transfer of the crown to Joseph Bonaparte.
Spain History of Spain On May 2, 1808, upon the news of Hernando’s removal to France, a rebellion broke out in Madrid, which the French managed to suppress only after a bloody struggle. Provincial juntas were formed, the Guerillas armed themselves in the mountains, and all accomplices of the French were declared enemies of the fatherland. The brave defense of Zaragoza, the removal of Joseph from Madrid, and the general retreat of the French contributed to the enthusiasm of the Spaniards. At the same time, Wellington with an English corps landed in Portugal and began to oust the French from there. The French nevertheless prevailed over the Spaniards and on December 4 again entered Madrid.
Spain History of Spain A massive guerrilla war began in Spain, led by the central junta established in September 1808 in Aranjuez. At first, all levels of Spanish society, nobles, clergy and peasants, strove with equal zeal to drive out the invaders, who controlled only large cities and responded to Spanish resistance with brutal terror. By early 1810, the odds had tilted toward the French as the Spanish elite became more loyal to Joseph. Defenders of the country's independence in Cadiz established a regency, convened the Cortes and adopted a constitution (March 18, 1812), based on the old Spanish traditions of communal self-government and the principles of democracy. At the same time, organized resistance to the French was provided only by the English troops of Wellington, who defeated the French at Salamanca on July 22, 1812, but could not hold it in Madrid.
Spain History of Spain The crushing defeat of Napoleonic army in Russia changed the situation in Spain. On May 27, 1813, King Joseph with French troops left Madrid, but was defeated by Wellington at Vittoria on June 21. The French were expelled from Spain, but the question of the country's further political structure remained open.

Spain History of Spain Bourbon Restoration
Spain History of Spain King Hernando VII was released by Napoleon to his homeland, but the Cortes demanded that he swear allegiance to the constitution, which he refused to do. The intervention of the army, the transition to the side of the king, General Elio, resolved the issue in favor of an absolute monarchy. After the dispersal of the Cortes and the entry into Madrid, King Hernando VII promised an amnesty and the adoption of a new constitution, but began his reign with repression both against those who supported Joseph Bonaparte and against the most liberal supporters of the Cortes. The army and clergy became the backbone of the monarchical power of King Hernando VII.
Spain History of Spain Court intrigues and the weak policies of King Hernando VII did not contribute to the restoration of order in either internal or external affairs. During the French occupation of Spain, a war of independence began in its overseas colonies, during which local elites broke away from the weakened metropolis. In Spain itself, discontent was accumulating among the people. As a result, troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Riego (January 1, 1820) proclaimed the Constitution of 1812 and created a provisional government in Isla de Leon, which issued an appeal to the people. After a number of provinces and Madrid went over to the side of the rebels, King Hernando VII swore allegiance to the constitution and convened the Cortes. Their activities were directed mainly against the property privileges of the church - the clergy were taxed, but this did not improve the situation in the country. Due to the absence of the bourgeoisie, the liberal initiatives of the Cortes were perceived negatively in society, especially among the peasantry. The Catholic opposition gained strength in the provinces and the country again began to slide into anarchy.
Spain History of Spain According to the results of the elections held on March 1, 1822, the radicals received a majority of votes, after which the forces loyal to the king undertook unsuccessful attempt occupy Madrid. King Hernando VII was forced to seek foreign help and in the fall of that year the Holy Alliance decided to intervene armed in the affairs of Spain. In April 1824, a French expedition under the command of the Duke of Angoulême (95 thousand soldiers) crossed the border and defeated the Spanish troops. Already on April 11, the Cortes, having captured the king, fled from Madrid, where on May 24 the Duke of Angoulême entered, enthusiastically received by the people and clergy. Surrounded in Cadiz, the Cortes returned absolute power to the king, but liberal resistance continued for another two months. To protect the Bourbons, 45 thousand French soldiers remained in Spain.
Spain History of Spain In 1827, King Hernando VII decisively suppressed a rebellion in Catalonia by supporters of his brother Carlos, and three years later issued the so-called pragmatic sanction, which repealed the Salic law introduced by the Bourbons in 1713, and introduced female succession to the throne. In October 1832, Queen Christina was declared regent for her daughter Isabella in the event of the king's death. Former minister Zea-Bermudez took charge of the administration, declared an amnesty and convened the Cortes, who on June 20, 1833 swore allegiance to Isabella as heir to the throne.
Spain History of Spain Don Carlos, on April 29, 1833, in Portugal, proclaimed himself King Charles V of Spain. He was immediately joined by the apostolic party, the Basque provinces and Navarre, whose ancient benefits of fueros, including the right to duty-free import of goods, were not recognized by the liberals. The Carlist uprising began in October 1833 with the appointment of a junta and general armament. Soon the Carlists occupied Catalonia. The Madrid government of the “Christinos” (named after the regent) could not suppress the rebellion because it was experiencing deep divisions. In 1834, a new constitution was adopted, which displeased radical liberals, who rebelled in 1836 and forced Christina to return to the 1812 constitution.
Spain History of Spain However, soon the new president of the Council of Ministers, Calatrava, convened the Cortes, which subjected the old constitution to revision. At this time, Don Carlos won a number of victories, but disagreements among his supporters led to his retreat to France. Not wanting to continue the war, the Cortes confirmed the fueros of the Basque provinces. By the end of the summer of 1840, all of Spain was under the control of the Madrid government. General Espartero gained popularity and forced Queen Christina to abandon the regency and leave the country. On May 8, 1841, Espartero was elected regent, but two years later he was forced to flee to England after a general mutiny of the army.
Spain History of Spain The conservative majority of the Spanish Cortes on November 8, 1843 declared the 13-year-old Queen Isabella of age. Changes soon followed political life country - rival generals and favorites of the young queen replaced each other at the helm of the state, her mother Christina was returned from exile, a high property qualification was introduced for elections to the Cortes, senators were appointed for life by the crown, and the Catholic religion was declared the state religion.
Spain History of Spain The army played an ever-increasing role in governing the country. In 1854, after another rebellion, General Espartero was again appointed first minister, but did not hold this post for long. His successor O'Donnell suppressed several military uprisings, repulsed an attempt by the Carlist pretender Count Montemolina to land in Spain (1860), but also could not stay in power. General Narvaez, who replaced him, at the head of the government, relied on the clergy and persecuted the liberals. Soon after His death in 1868, a general rebellion began in the country and Isabella fled to France.
Spain History of Spain At the head of the provisional government of unionists and progressives was Serrano, who first of all abolished the Jesuit order and declared freedom of the press and education. Since the convened Spanish Cortes did not agree on the candidacy of the new monarch, Serrano became regent. The authority of Madrid in the northern provinces of Spain was low - the Carlists and Republicans became more active there.
Spain History of Spain, after long negotiations, the son of the Italian king Amadeus agreed to accept the Spanish crown, but after two years of ongoing anarchy and open struggle political parties, supported by various army officers, he returned to his homeland in Italy. The Cortes proclaimed a republic and elected as president Figveras, a federalist republican who sought to expand the rights of Spanish provinces and cities in order to ensure their loyalty to Madrid. Soon Figveras was removed, the north of the country, where the Carlists seized power, and Andalusia, where a group of radical federalists formed their own government, fell away from Madrid. Castelar's troops regained control of Andalusia, but he was soon deposed, and Serrano, who was also deposed a year later, returned to rule the country. This is where the history of the first Spanish republic ended.
Spain History of Spain Since the Carlists were not popular, Isabella's eldest son Alfonso was invited to take the vacant throne.

Spain History of Spain The election of Alfonso XII seemed to many, especially officers, the only salvation from chaos. Agreeing with the most influential persons, General Martinez Campos proclaimed Alfonso XII King of Spain on December 29, 1874 in Segunto.
Spain History of Spain The reign of the new monarch, King Alfonso XII, was successful - the Carlists were defeated, the Basque lands were deprived of fueros, and centralized control of the country was restored. The tidying up has begun financial system, rebellions were suppressed in Cuba and the northern provinces of Spain. Politically, Spain during these years became closer to Germany and Austria-Hungary, as opposed to France, whose interference in Spanish affairs ceased. During these years, industry and trade began to develop in Spain, and the appearance of the country's largest cities changed. Liberal reforms were carried out: universal suffrage and trial by jury were introduced.
Spain History of Spain In 1886, after the death of the young king Alfonso XII, his newborn son Alfonso XIII became the new monarch, under whom his mother, who continued her husband’s policies, became regent. At the turn of the century, tourism began to develop in Spain. Unrest in the north of the country continued repeatedly, Catalonia and the Basque country were ahead of the agricultural provinces of central and southern Spain in economic development, and a layer of intelligentsia was formed in large cities, advocating autonomy and democratic changes. From the end of the 19th century, in connection with the growth of autonomist movements in the Spanish provinces, a large-scale debate began about the “essence of Spain” (about the “two Spains”), which continues, with some interruptions, to the present day.
Spain History of Spain The defeat in the Spanish-American War and the loss of the last overseas colonies led to an increase in protest sentiments in Spanish society. During the First World War, Spain maintained neutrality, but its economy suffered seriously.

Spain History of Spain The collapse of European monarchies and the spread of socialist ideas among the poor urban intelligentsia led to a series of riots. The rebels demanded social and political changes - the abolition of noble privileges, secularization, and the establishment of republican rule. In the face of growing instability, General Miguel Primo de Rivera rebelled and seized power in Catalonia, soon the king granted him exceptional powers. It was announced the creation of a “military directory”, the introduction of martial law, the abolition of the constitution, and the dissolution of the Cortes. During Primo de Rivera's reign, Spain achieved victory in Morocco and some internal stability through repression of anarchists. Government guarantees ensured an influx of investment into the country and increased well-being of the population. However, the general uncertainty of foreign and domestic policy and the growing radicalization of society led to the resignation of Primo de Rivera. The struggle for power began with radical republicans and falangists, led by his son Jose Antonio.

Spain History of Spain On April 14, 1931, as a result of mass protests, the Spanish monarchy was overthrown and Spain again became a republic. This did not bring stability to Spanish society, since to the traditional contradictions between the conservative-monarchist and republican wings were added differences between the republicans themselves, in whose ranks there were various forces from supporters of liberal capitalism to anarchists. The ongoing terror, the inability of the authorities to solve economic problems, and the threatening international situation led to an increase in the popularity of the Spanish Phalanx in army circles, its rebellion in 1936 and a bloody civil war, which ended in 1939 with the capture of Madrid by the rebels and the establishment of the lifelong dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
Spain History of Spain The years of Franco's reign are a period of conservative modernization in Spain. The country did not participate in World War II and enjoyed the support of many Western powers in the post-war period. In the 1950s and 60s, the Spanish “economic miracle” occurred, associated with an influx of investment into the previously backward agricultural country, urbanization and the development of industry and tourism. At the same time, political rights and freedoms were limited in the country for a long time, and repression was carried out against separatists and adherents of leftist views. Franco bequeathed to restore the monarchy after his death and transfer the throne to Juan Carlos, the grandson of the deposed Alfonso XIII. The dictator's will was fulfilled.

Spain History of Spain History of modern Spain
Spain History of Spain In 1947, Spain, on the initiative of Francisco Franco, was again declared a kingdom (however, the throne remained unoccupied during the regency of “caudillo” Franco himself).
Spain History of Spain In November 1975, after the death of Franco, according to his will, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain, the dismantling of the previous regime and new democratic reforms began. In December 1978, a new constitution was adopted and came into force in Spain.
Spain History of Spain In 1985, Spain joined the European Union (EU). Today the Kingdom of Spain is a highly developed, prosperous country with developed industry and agriculture. The Kingdom of Spain interesting country with friendly people and their bright national traditions. Spain is loved and willingly visited by numerous tourists!

Spain Culture of Spain
Spain Painting and sculpture of Spain
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists)Spain Culture of Spain Spain is rightfully considered a museum under open air. The vast expanses of this country carefully preserve cultural and historical monuments that have worldwide fame.
Spain Culture of Spain The most famous museum in Spain - the Prado Museum - is located in Madrid. Its extensive exhibition cannot be seen in one day. The museum was founded by Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII. The Prado has its own branch, located in Cason del Buen Retiro and storing unique collections of Spanish painting and sculpture of the 19th century, as well as works by English and French painters. The museum itself features large exhibitions of Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and German art.

Spain Culture of Spain The Prado Museum owes its name “Prado” to the Prado de San Jerónimo alley, where it is located, laid out during the Enlightenment. Currently, the Prado Museum's holdings include 6,000 paintings, more than 400 sculptures, as well as numerous jewelry, including royal and religious collections. During the several centuries of its existence, the Prado Museum was patronized by many kings.
Spain Culture of Spain It is believed that the very first collection of the Prado Museum was formed under King Carlos I, known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. His heir, King Philip II, became famous not only for his bad character and despotism, but also for his love of art. It is to him that the museum owes its priceless acquisitions of paintings by Flemish masters. Philip was distinguished by his gloomy worldview; it is not surprising that the ruler was a fan of Bosch, an artist known for his bizarre, pessimistic fantasy. Philip initially purchased Bosch's paintings for Escorial, the ancestral castle of the Spanish kings. It was only in the 19th century that the paintings were moved to the Prado Museum. Now you can see such masterpieces here Dutch master, like “The Garden of Delights” and “The Hay Wain.” Currently, in the Prado Museum you can enjoy not only paintings and sculptures, but also theatrical performances designed to “revive” famous paintings. The first such staging at the Prado Museum was dedicated to the paintings of the famous Spanish artist Velazquez and was a huge success with the public.

Spain Culture of Spain There are many more unique museums and galleries in the Kingdom of Spain.
Spain Culture of Spain The most famous museums in Spain that are world famous:
1. Picasso Museum and National Museum of Art of Catalonia, located in Barcelona.
2. National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid.
3. El Greco Museum in Toledo.
4. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
5. Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca.

Spain Culture of Spain Painting of Spain
Spain Spanish painting Artists of Spain (Spanish artists)
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) Frenzy and passion, an intense search for meaning in love and in death - painting in Spain is unthinkable without this. Both El Greco and Salvador Dali capture their greatness and no matter what similar country, its people and its history, while using new means of expression. If the architecture of Spain was mainly imitative, then the painting was certainly original. It was in Spain that the strangest, most powerful and most terrible paintings in world culture were created: landscapes of Toledo and the Apostolic series by El Greco, “black” etchings by Goya, “Guernica” by Picasso, surreal visions of Dali...
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) As A. Benoit accurately noted, “among the Spaniards, the artistic preference for black paint and gloomy penumbra fully corresponded to spiritual experiences, persistent thoughts about the sadness of earthly existence, about the redemptive benefit of suffering, about the poetry and beauty of death.”
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) Painting in Spain has left a noticeable mark on the world history of fine art. The brilliant flowering of painting begins with the appearance in Spain in 1576 of the painter Domenico Theotokopouli, nicknamed El Greco, since he was of Greek origin and born on the island of Crete (1541-1614).
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish Artists) The artist El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) studied in Italy with the famous Titian and was invited to Spain by Philip II. El Greco moved to Spain in 1575 and settled in the city of Toledo. El Greco became the founder and head of the Toledo art school and painted mainly on behalf of the monasteries and churches of Toledo.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) Unusual, at first sight recognizable style The artist El Greco (elongated figures, intensely frantic poses and faces of the characters, the predominance of a silver-blue color scheme) took shape in Toledo. Today, the artist El Greco and the Spanish city of Toledo are unthinkable without each other. Some of El Greco's famous works (for example, "The Burial of Count Orgaz") were intended for Toledo churches and never left the city. You can see these unique works by the genius of world painting El Greco only there.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) Another master of Spanish painting, Luis Morales (c. 1510-1586), also painted paintings on religious subjects, full of asceticism and suffering. The paintings of Luis Morales in terms of their impact on the viewer can be compared with the best works the famous El Greco. Luis Morales spent his entire life in the city of Badajoz, a small town near the Portuguese border, and his works are kept in museums in Toledo, Madrid and other cities.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish Artists) Many spanish artists deservedly belong to the category of classics of world painting. Among them are Jose de Ribera, Francisco Zurbaran, B. E. Murillo and D. Velazquez, who already in his youth became the court artist of Philip IV. Velazquez's famous paintings "Las Meninas" or "The Maids of Honor", "The Surrender of Breda", "The Spinner" and portraits of the royal jesters are in the most famous Madrid museum, the Prado.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish Artists) The political and social upheavals of the 18th and 19th centuries were reflected in the work of Francisco Goya, for example his “Execution of the Rebels on the Night of May 3, 1808”, as well as his “Disasters of War” series. The fear-inducing “black paintings,” created shortly before the master’s death, are not only an expression of his own despair, but also evidence of the political chaos of that time.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) The period of the 18th-19th centuries is generally characterized as a period of calm in the Spanish art of painting, closed on imitative classicism.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) The revival of great Spanish painting occurs in the first half of the 20th century. New paths in world art were paved by the founder and prominent representative of surrealism in painting Salvador Dali (1904-1989), one of the founders of cubism Juan Gris (1887-1921), abstractionist Joan Miro (1893-1983) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) , who contributed to the development of several areas of contemporary art.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) Miro and Dali were faithful to Spain until the end of their lives. They left their homes only during wars and exhibitions. Pablo Picasso, received art education in La Coruña, Barcelona and Madrid, and from 1904 he lived and worked in Paris. Commissioned by the Spanish government in 1937, Pablo Picasso painted his “Guernica” - a tragic symbol of the Civil War, during which a small Basque town was destroyed. In the same year, 1937, Joan Miro painted “Help Spain” - a furious and bright, memorable poster, and Salvador Dali - the painting “Premonition of Civil War” with spread and intercepted bodies.
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish Artists) The essence of Spanish painting can best be characterized by the expression of Salvador Dali himself, which he cited in his autobiography: “In order to become Dali, you must first of all be a Spaniard, or rather a Catalan, in other words, a creature equipped for delirium and paranoia, capable of being penetrated to the very depths, like the fishermen of Cadaques, who are in the habit of decorating altar statues with their catch - dying lobsters. The spectacle of agony makes the fishermen sympathize with the passions of God with special force.” Indeed, in such a “living” living of religion is the whole soul of Spain, from El Greco to Dali.

Spain Modern Spain Painting of Spain
Spain Spanish painting today Artists of Spain (Spanish artists)
Artists of Spain Sculptors of modern Spain
Spain Artists of Spain (Spanish Artists) Today, a new generation of Spanish artists, sculptors, and masters of art photography lives and works in the Kingdom of Spain. Contemporary Artists of Spain (Spanish artists) create new original paintings and sculptures.

Poets about Spain poems about Spain
Spain is a country of great culture!

Spain is a country of sun, sea, mountains, Flamenco, Corida and beautiful people!

“Where nature captivates, like in a fairy tale
Miraculously, the mountains turn white in the distance.
Rubens, Velazquez worked there,
Picasso and Goya, Dali.
Where bright sun shines
And where are the wonderful dreams, dreams.
Spain conquers us again
Everything sparkles in the rays of beauty.
Where the gold of the beaches sparkles,
Oranges and palm trees grow
And there is such beauty all around!
And Marbella gardens are blooming!
Where the fields and vast spaces are,
Where the transparent wave splashes
And the crystal clear sea,
This is a wonderful country!
Where there are flamenco songs and dances,
The loud sound of castanets is heard,
Where are the cheerful faces of the Spaniards,
There is no more beautiful country!”

Poets dedicate their poems to Spain. Artists from Spain paint wonderful paintings!
Artists of Spain Paintings by Spanish artists
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Great Spanish artists in their works touched on topics that concern every person, so their names have remained for centuries. Starting with El Greco, we can distinguish nine such masters who lived from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The highest flowering 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, fires often burned over heretics. Therefore, secular topics were practically not touched upon. Easel and fresco painting are types of illustrations to the Holy Scriptures. But even here great caution had to be exercised. Traditional interpretations were required.

El Greco combines religious themes with a color scheme of amazing beauty and splendor, which anticipates the appearance of the Baroque. One of his masterpieces, “Apostles Peter and Paul” (1582-592), is kept in Russia. It depicts a simple illiterate fisherman Peter and the creator of all Christian doctrine, the highly educated Paul, naturally, with the Bible. Christianity in the first centuries won all hearts with its 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 mortify carnal desires and joys and complete immersion in religious rituals. Spanish artists such as José Ribera (1591-1652), (1598-1664), Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) and Bartolomeo Murillo (1617-1682) are the brightest representatives of this period. They are familiar with the work of Caravaggio, who greatly influences them, not with his still lifes, but with his understanding of what death is and how closely it comes into contact with life.

Spanish artists Ribera and Zurbaran

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

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

Velazquez (1599-1660)

Initially, the Spanish artist Diego Velazquez, living in Seville, worked 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 the color to soft silver and moves to transparent tones. With great difficulty he manages to get a position as a court painter. But King Philip IV immediately appreciated the young artist’s gift, and he subsequently created portraits of members of the royal family. The pinnacle of his work were two paintings that are still unsolved, so much meaning did the artist put into them. These are “Las Meninas” (1656), that is, the retinue of courtiers for the heirs to the royal throne, and “Spinners” (1658).

At first glance, everything in “Las Meninas” seems simple. In the large room there is a young infanta, surrounded by ladies-in-waiting, a bodyguard, two dwarfs, a dog and an artist. But behind the painter’s back there is a mirror hanging on the wall, in which the king and queen are reflected. Whether the royal couple is in the room or not is one of the mysteries. There are many more of them, enough for a huge article. And not a single riddle has a clear answer.

From Francisco Goya to Salvador Dali

Born in Zaragoza, Goya (1746-1828) became the official court artist, but then lost this position and received the post of vice-director of the Academy of Arts. In any capacity, Goya works hard and quickly, creating cardboards for tapestries, portraits, painting churches, and paintings for the Cathedral in Valencia. He works hard and hard all his life, changing as a master, moving from light festive compositions with rich colors to fast and sharp graphics, and if this is painting, then dark and gloomy.

The school of drawing in Spain is not dying, but the next artist of Spanish painting, great master, appears in 1881. This is Picasso. There are many things that mark his work. These are the “blue” and “pink” periods, and cubism, and surrealism, and pacifism. Behind all his works there is a subtle irony and a desire to sell. And he knew how to draw. While creating portraits of his beloved during the Cubist period, which sold like hot cakes, for himself he painted her in the style of realism. And only after becoming a wealthy man, he began to allow himself to paint as he wanted.

His work “Don Quixote” (1955) is laconic. The knight himself, his squire, a horse, a donkey and several are depicted. Don Quixote is light and 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 drawing is full of movement. The lines are energetic, catchy, and full of humor.

The famous Spanish artist Salvador Dali is eccentric. This man had everything for sale. And paintings, and diaries, and books. He made a fortune for himself thanks to the energetic help of his wife, 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, it must be said that they all had an individuality as bright as the sun of Spain.

Published: January 4, 2015

Spanish art

Spanish art is the art of Spain. An important part of Western art (especially influenced by Italy and France, especially during the Baroque and Classical periods) and producing many famous and influential artists (including Velázquez, Goya and Picasso), Spanish art often had distinctive features and was judged somewhat separately from other European schools. These differences can be partly explained by Spain's Moorish heritage (especially in Andalusia) and the political and cultural climate in Spain during the Counter-Reformation and subsequent eclipse of Spanish power under the Bourbon dynasty.

El Greco (1541-1614), The Unveiling of Christ (El Espolio) (1577-1579), is one of the most famous altarpieces by El Greco, whose altarpieces are renowned for their dynamic compositions and sense of movement.

The early Iberians left behind a lot; northwestern Spain shares with southwestern France areas where the richest finds of Upper Paleolithic art in Europe are found in the Altamira Cave and other sites containing cave paintings created between 35,000 and 11,000 BC. e. Rock art The Iberian Mediterranean Basin (as defined by UNESCO) is art from eastern Spain, probably from around 8000-3500 BC, showing animals and hunting scenes, often created with an increasing sense of the overall composition of a large-scale scene. Portugal in particular is rich in megalithic monuments, including the Almendres Cromlech, and Iberian schematic art is stone sculpture, petroglyphs and rock art from the early Iron Ages, found throughout the Iberian Peninsula, with geometric patterns and also with an increased use of simple pictogram-like human figures, as is common in similar art forms from other regions. The Casco de Leiro is a late Bronze Age gold ritual helmet that may be related to other gold headdresses found in Germany, and the Villena Treasure is a huge hoard of geometrically designed vessels and decorations, possibly from the 10th century BC, containing 10 kilograms of gold .

Iberian sculpture before the Roman conquest reflects contact with other advanced ancient cultures that established small coastal colonies, including the Greeks and Phoenicians; the Phoenician settlement of Sa Caleta in Ibiza has been preserved for excavation, much of it now located beneath major cities, and Dame Guardamar was found during excavations at another Phoenician site. The Lady of Elche (probably 4th century BC) perhaps represents Tanit, but also shows Hellenistic influence, as does the Sphinx of Agost and the Beach of Balasota of the 6th century. The Guisando Bulls are the most impressive example of verraco - large Celto-Iberian animal sculptures made of stone; Bull from Osuna 5th century BC is the most developed single example. Several decorated falcatas, the characteristic curved Iberian swords, survive, as well as many bronze figurines used as votive images. The Romans gradually conquered all of Iberia between 218 BC. and 19 AD

As elsewhere in the Western Empire, Roman occupation largely destroyed local styles; Iberia was an important agricultural area for the Romans and the elite acquired extensive estates producing wheat, olives and wine, some later emperors came from the Iberian provinces; During excavations, many huge villas were discovered. The Aqueduct of Segovia, the Roman walls of Lugo, the Alcantara Bridge (104-106 AD) and the Tower of Hercules lighthouse are well-preserved major monuments, impressive examples of Roman engineering, if not always art. Roman temples are quite well preserved in Vic, Évora (now in Portugal) and Alcantara, and elements of them are also preserved in Barcelona and Cordoba. There must have been local workshops producing high quality mosaics, although much of the best free-standing sculpture was probably imported. The Missorium of Theodosius I is a famous silver dish from late antiquity that was found in Spain but was probably created in Constantinople.

Bison from Altamira Cave (between approx. 16 500 and 14 000 years ago)

Villena's treasure is probablyXin BC

Early Middle Ages

Fragment of the votive crown of Recquesvint from the Guarrazar treasure, now in Madrid. The hanging letters read [R]ECCESVINTUS REX OFFERET (King R. donates this). Public domain.

The Christian Visigoths ruled Iberia after the collapse of the Roman Empire, and the rich 7th-century Guarrazar treasure was probably kept to avoid looting during the Muslim conquest of Spain, now representing a unique surviving example of Christian votive crowns made of gold; Although Spanish in style, the form was probably then used by the elite throughout Europe. Other examples of Visigothic art include metalwork, mainly jewelry and buckles, and stone reliefs, which survive to give an idea of ​​the culture of these originally barbaric Germanic peoples, who kept themselves very largely separate from their Iberian contemporaries, and whose rule collapsed. when the Muslims arrived in 711.

The Jeweled Cross of Victory, the La Cava Bible and the Agate Casket of Oviedo are surviving examples of the rich pre-Romanesque culture of the 9th-10th century Asturias region of northwestern Spain, which remained under Christian rule; The banqueting house of Santa Maria del Naranco overlooking Oviedo, completed in 848 and later converted into a church, is a unique surviving example of architecture from this period in Europe. The Vigilan Codex, completed in 976 in the Rioja region, shows a complex mixture of several styles.

Arabesque-decorated panel from Madina al-Zahra, robven - http://www.flickr.com/photos/robven/3048203629/

The magnificent palace-city of Madina al-Zahra near Cordoba was built in the 10th century for the Umayyad dynasty of the Caliphs of Cordoba; it was to become the capital of Islamic Andasusia; excavations are still ongoing. A significant amount of very elaborate decoration of the main buildings survives, demonstrating the enormous wealth of this very centralized state. The palace at Aljafería dates from a later period, after Islamic Spain was divided into several kingdoms. Famous examples of Islamic architecture and its decorations are the temple-mosques of Cordoba, whose Islamic elements were added between 784 and 987, and the Alhambra and Generalife palaces in Granada, dating from the final period of Muslim Spain.

The Pisan Griffin is the largest known Islamic animal sculpture and the most spectacular sculpture of the Al-Andaluz group, many of these sculptures were created to support fountain pools (such as in the Alhambra), or on rare occasions for burning incense and other similar purposes.

The Christian population of Muslim Spain developed a style of Mozarabic art, the best known surviving examples of which are several illuminated manuscripts, several commentaries on the Book of Revelations of the Asturian Saint Beatus (Beatus) of Lieban (c. 730 - c. 800), which created a theme that allowed a brightly colored primitivist style to fully demonstrate its qualities in manuscripts of the 10th century. For example, these are the manuscripts of the Beatus Morgana, probably the first, the Beatus of Gerona, decorated by the female artist Ende, the Escorial Beatus and the Beatus Saint-Sever, which was actually created at some distance from Muslim rule in France. Mozarabic elements, including a background of bright colored stripes, can be seen in some later Romanesque frescoes.

Hispano-Moorish pottery appeared in the south, apparently mainly for local markets, but Muslim potters later began migrating to the Valencia region, where Christian overlords sold their luxurious luster pottery to the elite throughout Christian Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, including including the Popes and the English royal court. Spanish Islamic ivory carvings and textiles were also of very high quality; The peninsula's modern tile and carpet industries owe their origins largely to the Islamic kingdoms.

After the expulsion of Islamic rulers during the Reconquista, a large part of the Muslim population and Christian craftsmen trained in the Muslim style remained in Spain. Mudejar is the term for the works of art and architecture created by these people. The Mudejar architecture in Aragon is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 14th-century Maiden Patio courtyard, built for Pedro of Castile in Seville's Alcázar, is another notable example. The style can also blend harmoniously with Christian European medieval and Renaissance styles, for example in elaborate wood and stucco ceilings, and Mudejar work often continued to be created for centuries after an area had been transferred to Christian control. .

Al-Maghira ivory box, Madina az-zahra, 968 g, Public domain

Pisan griffin, photo: Memorato,

Page from Beatus Morgan

Hispano-Moorish jug with the Medici coat of arms, 1450-1460

Painting

Romanesque style in painting in Spain

Apse of the Church of Santa Maria in Taulla, Catalan fresco in Lleida, early 12th century, photo: photo: Ecemaml, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

In Spain, the art of the Romanesque period represented a smooth transition from the previous Pre-Romanesque and Mozarabic styles. Many of the best-preserved Romanesque church frescoes that were discovered throughout Europe at the time come from Catalonia. Famous examples are located in the temples of the Val de Boi region; many of them were discovered only in the 20th century. Some of best examples were moved to museums, especially the National Museum of Art of Catalonia in Barcelona, ​​where the famous central apse of Sant Climent in Taulla and the frescoes from Sigena are located. The finest examples of Castilian Romanesque frescoes are the frescoes at San Isidoro in León, the paintings from San Baudelio de Berlanga, now mostly housed in various museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the frescoes from Santa Cruz de -Maderuelo in Segovia. There are also several antependiums (veil or partition in front of the altar) with wood painting and other early panels.

Gothic

The Gothic art of Spain gradually developed from the Romanesque styles that preceded it, guided by external models first from France and then from Italy. Another distinctive aspect was the inclusion of Mudejar style elements. Eventually, Italian influence, from which Byzantine stylistic devices and iconography were borrowed, completely replaced the original Franco-Gothic style. Catalonia was still a prosperous region, where many beautiful altars were created; however, the region declined after the emphasis on trade shifted to the Atlantic following the opening of the American colonies, which partly explains the presence of many medieval remnants there, as there was no money to refurbish Renaissance and Baroque churches.

Early Renaissance

Due to the important economic and political connections between Spain and Flanders from the mid-15th century, the early Renaissance in Spain was strongly influenced by Dutch painting, which led to the identification of the Spanish-Flemish school of painters. The leading representatives were Fernando Gallego, Bartolomé Bermejo, Pedro Berruguete and Juan de Flandes.

Renaissance and Mannerism

In general, the Renaissance and the Mannerist style that followed it are difficult to classify in Spain due to the combination of Flemish and Italian influences and regional differences.

The main center of influence Italian Renaissance, penetrated into Spain, was Valencia due to its proximity and close ties with Italy. This influence was felt through the import of works of art, including four paintings by Piombo and reproductions of Raphael, as well as the relocation of Italian Renaissance artist Paolo de San Leocadio and Spanish artists who spent time working and studying in Italy. These were, for example, Fernando Yáñez de Almedina (1475-1540) and Fernando Llanos, who demonstrated Leonardo's characteristics in his works, in particular the subtle, melancholic expressions and softness of execution in the modeling of features.

"Pieta" by Luis de Morales

In other regions of Spain, the influence of the Italian Renaissance was less obvious, with a relatively superficial use of methods that combined with previous Flemish methods of work and had Mannerist characteristics, due to the relatively late appearance of examples from Italy, as italian art was already largely mannerist. Besides the technical aspects, the themes and spirit of the Renaissance were transformed to suit the Spanish culture and religious environment. Consequently, very few classical themes or female nudes were depicted, and the works often demonstrated a sense of pious devotion and religious power, attributes that would remain dominant in much of the art of the Counter-Reformation in Spain throughout the 17th century and beyond.

Famous artists representing Mannerism were Vicente Juan Masip (1475-1550) and his son Juan de Juanes (1510-1579), artist and architect Pedro Machuca (1490-1550) and Juan Correa de Vivar (1510-1566) . However, the most popular Spanish artist of the early 17th century was Luis de Morales (1510? -1586). His contemporaries called him "The Divine" because of the religious intensity of his paintings. From the Renaissance he also often borrowed soft modeling and simple compositions, but combined them with the precision of detail characteristic of the Flemish style. He portrayed many biblical characters, including the Virgin Mary and Child.

Golden Age of Spanish painting

The Spanish Golden Age, a period of Spanish political dominance and subsequent decline, saw a large-scale development of art in Spain. The period is said to have begun at some point after 1492 and ended either with the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, although in art its beginning is placed before or just before the reign of Philip III (1598-1621), and the end is also attributed to 1660 or later. Thus, this style is part of the wider Baroque period in art. While there is significant influence from the great Baroque masters such as Caravaggio and later Rubens, the distinctiveness of the art of the time also included influences that modified typical Baroque characteristics. These included the influence of contemporary Dutch Golden Age painting, as well as the native Spanish tradition, which gave much of the period's art an interest in naturalism, and the avoidance of grandiosity in much Baroque art. Significant early representatives of this period are Juan Bautista Maino (1569-1649), who brought a new naturalistic style to Spain, Francisco Ribalta (1565-1628) and Sánchez Cotán (1560-1627), an influential still life painter.

El Greco (1541-1614) One of the most individualistic artists of the period, he developed a highly mannerist style based on his origins in the post-Byzantine Cretan school, in contrast to the naturalistic approaches then prevalent in Seville, Madrid and other regions of Spain. Many of his works reflect the silvery grays and bright colors of Venetian artists such as Titian, but they are combined with strange elongation of figures, unusual lighting, elimination of perspective space and filling of surfaces in a very explicit and expressive painterly manner.

Working mainly in Italy, especially Naples, José de Ribera (1591-1652) considered himself a Spaniard, and his style was sometimes used as an example of extreme Counter-Reformation Spanish art. His work was highly influential (largely due to the circulation of his drawings and prints throughout Europe) and showed significant development over the course of his career.

As the gateway to the New World, Seville became the cultural center of Spain in the 16th century. It attracted artists from all over Europe, eager to receive commissions from throughout the growing empire, as well as from the wealthy city's many religious houses. Starting from the strong Flemish tradition of detailed and smooth brushwork, as shown in the works of Francisco Pacheco (1564-1642), a naturalistic approach developed over time, influenced by Juan de Roelas (c. 1560-1624) and Francisco Herrera the Elder (1590). -1654). This largely naturalistic approach, influenced by Caravaggio, became predominant in Seville and formed the training background for three Golden Age masters: Cano, Zurbaran and Velazquez.

Francisco Zurbaran (1598-1664) known for his decisive and realistic use of chiaroscuro in his religious paintings and still lifes. Although it seemed that he was limited in his development, and difficult scenes were difficult for him. Zurbaran's magnificent ability to evoke religious feelings earned him many commissions in conservative Counter-Reformation Seville.

Sharing the influence of the same master painter - Francisco Pacheco- like Velazquez, Alonso Cano (16601-1667) also worked actively with sculpture and architecture. His style moved from the naturalism of his early period to a more subtle, idealistic approach, revealing Venetian influences and Van Dyck.

Velasquez

Diego Velazquez "Las Meninas", 1656-1657

Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) was a leading artist at the court of King Philip IV. In addition to numerous depictions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, he painted dozens of portraits of the Spanish royal family, other famous European figures, and commoners. In many of his portraits, Velázquez gave dignified qualities to such unattractive members of society as beggars and dwarfs. In contrast to these portraits, Velázquez's gods and goddesses are generally depicted as simple people without divine features. In addition to Velázquez's forty portraits of Philip, he painted portraits of other members of the royal family, including princes, infantas (princesses) and queens.

Late Baroque

Bartolome Esteban Murillo, “The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (Soult)”

Late Baroque elements emerged as a foreign influence, thanks to Rubens' visits to Spain and the circulation of artists and patrons between Spain and the Spanish possessions of Naples and the Spanish Netherlands. Famous Spanish artists, representatives of the new style - Juan Carreño de Miranda (1614-1685), Francisco Risi (1614-1685) and Francisco de Herrera the Younger (1627-1685), son of Francisco de Herrera the Elder, initiator of the naturalistic emphasis in the school Seville. Other famous Baroque artists: Claudio Coelho (1642-1693), Antonio de Pereda (1611-1678), Mateo Cerezo (1637-1666) and Juande Valdez Leal (1622-1690).

The outstanding painter of this period and the most famous Spanish artist before the recognition of the merits of Velazquez, Zurbaran and El Greco in the 19th century was Bartolome Esteban Murillo(1617-1682). He spent most of his career in Seville. His early works reflected Caravaggio's naturalism, using a muted brown palette, simple but not harsh lighting, and religious themes depicted in natural or domestic settings, as in his painting The Holy Family with a Bird (c. 1650). He later incorporated elements of the Flemish Baroque of Rubens and Van Dyck into his work. "Immaculate Conception (Soult)" uses a brighter and more radiant palette of colors, with swirling cherubs directing the focus to the Virgin Mary, whose gaze is turned to the sky, and a warm glowing halo spreads around her, making her a spectacular devotional image, an important component of this work; The theme of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was presented by Murillo about twenty times.

Spanish art 18th century

"Still Life with Oranges, Flasks and Boxes of Chocolates" by Luis Egidio Melendez

The beginning of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain under Philip V led to great changes in the field of patronage, the new court, oriented towards France, preferred the styles and artists of Bourbon France. Several Spanish artists were hired by the court - a rare exception was Miguel Jacinto Melendez (1679-1734) - and it took some time before Spanish artists mastered the new styles of Rococo and Neoclassicism. Leading European artists, including Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Anton Raphael Mengs, were active and influential.

Without royal sponsorship, many Spanish artists continued to work in the style baroque when creating religious compositions. This refers to Francisco Baye i Subias (1734-1795), an experienced craftsman fresco painting, and Mariano Salvador Maelle (1739-1819), both of whom developed in the direction of Mengs's strict neoclassicism. Another important direction for Spanish artists was portraiture, which was actively practiced by Antonio Gonzalez Velazquez (1723-1794), Joaquin Inza (1736-1811) and Agustin Esteve (1753-1820). But the still life genre could still receive royal support, with artists such as the court painter Bartolomé Montalvo (1769-1846) and Luis Egidio Melendez (1716-1780).

Continuing to work in the Spanish tradition of still life paintings by Sánchez Cotán and Zurbarán, Meléndez created a series of cabinet paintings commissioned by the Prince of Asturias, the future King Charles IV, designed to demonstrate the full spectrum food products from Spain. Rather than simply creating formal natural history teaching materials, he uses harsh lighting, low points of view, and heavy compositions to dramatize his subjects. He showed great interest and attention to detail in reflections, textures and highlights of the image (such as the highlights on the patterned vase in Still Life with Oranges, Flasks and Boxes of Chocolates), reflecting the new spirit of the Age of Enlightenment.

Goya

Francisco Goya, "The Third of May 1808"

Francisco Goya was a portrait painter and court painter of the Spanish court, a chronicler of history, and, by his unofficial employment, a revolutionary and visionary. Goya painted portraits of the Spanish royal family, including Charles IV of Spain and Ferdinand VII. His themes range from merry holidays for tapestry, satirical sketches to scenes of war, combat and corpses. In the early stages of his work, he drew sketches of satirical content as templates for tapestries and focused on scenes from everyday life with bright colors. During his life, Goya also made several series of "Grabados" - etchings that depict the decline of society and the horrors of war. His most famous series of paintings are the Gloomy (Black) Paintings, painted towards the end of his life. This series includes works that are dark in both color and meaning, causing anxiety and shock.

19th century

Frederico Pradilla, “Dona Juana La Loca (Juana the Mad)”

Various artistic movements of the 19th century influenced Spanish artists, largely thanks to them, artists were trained in foreign capitals, particularly Paris and Rome. Thus, neoclassicism, romanticism, realism and impressionism became important movements. However, they were often delayed or transformed by local conditions, including repressive governments and the tragedies of the Carlist Wars. Portraits and historical subjects were popular, and the art of the past - in particular the styles and techniques of Velázquez - had great importance.

The early part of the century was dominated by the academicism of Vicente López (1772-1850), followed by the neoclassicism of the French artist Jacques-Louis David, for example in the works of José de Madrazo (1781-1859), the founder of an influential line of artists and gallery directors. His son, Federico de Madrazo (1781-1859), was a leading exponent of Spanish Romanticism, along with Leonardo Alenza (1807-1845), Valeriano Domínguez Becker and Antonio Maria Esquivel.

Later came the period of romanticism, represented in the history of painting in the works of Antonio Gisbert (1834-1901), Eduardo Rosales (1836-1873) and Francisco Pradilla (1848-1921). In their works, realism techniques were often used in relation to romantic themes. This can be clearly seen in Dona Juana La Loca, Pradilla's famous early work. The composition, facial expressions and dramatic stormy skies reflect the emotion of the scene; as well as the accurately rendered clothing, dirt textures and other details demonstrate great realism in the artist's attitude and style. Mariano Fortuny (1838-1874) also developed a strong realistic style after being influenced by the French Romantic Eugene Delacroix and becoming a famous artist of his century in Spain.

Joaquin Sorolla, Boys on the Beach, 1910, Prado Museum

Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) of Valencia excelled in artfully representing the people and the landscape under the sun's rays of his native land, thereby reflecting the spirit of Impressionism in many of his works, particularly his famous seaside paintings. In his painting "Boys on the Beach" he makes reflections, shadows, the sheen of water and skin his main subject. The composition is very bold, there is no horizon, one of the boys is cropped, and strong diagonals create contrasts, the saturation of the upper left part of the work is increased.

Spanish art and painting 20th century

Juan Gris, "Beer Mug and Playing Cards", 1913, Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio.

In the first half of the 20th century, many leading Spanish artists worked in Paris, where they contributed to the development of the modernist art movement, and sometimes led it. Perhaps the main example is Picasso, who worked with the French artist Braque to create the concept of Cubism; and the sub-movement of Synthetic Cubism was condemned for finding its purest expression in the paintings and collages of Juan Gris, born in Madrid. Likewise, Salvador Dalí became a central figure in the Surrealist movement in Paris; and Joan Miró was highly influential in abstract art.

Picasso's Blue Period (1901-1904), which consisted of dark, tinted paintings, was influenced by a trip through Spain. The Picasso Museum in Barcelona houses many of Picasso's early works from his time in Spain, as well as the extensive collection of Jaime Sabartes, a close friend of Picasso's from his time in Barcelona, ​​who was Picasso's personal secretary for many years. There are many accurate and detailed studies of the images he created in his youth under the tutelage of his father, as well as rare works from his old age, which clearly demonstrate that Picasso's work had a solid foundation in classical methods. Picasso paid his most lasting tribute to Velázquez in 1957 when he recreated his Las Meninas in his cubist style. While Picasso was concerned that if he copied Velázquez's painting it would only look like a copy and not a unique piece, he continued to do so, and the enormous work is the largest he has created since Guernica in 1937 - took a significant place in the Spanish canons of art. Malaga, Picasso's birthplace, is home to two museums with significant collections: the Picasso Museum of Malaga and the Picasso House Museum.

Another period in Spanish Renaissance sculpture - the Baroque - spanned the last years of the 16th century, continued into the 17th century and reached its final flowering in the 18th century, creating a truly Spanish school and style of sculpture, more realistic, intimate and creatively independent compared to the previous one, which was tied to European trends, especially those of the Netherlands and Italy. There were two schools of particular taste and talent: the Seville school, to which Juan Martinez Montañez (the so-called Seville Phidias) belonged, his greatest works being the crucifix in the Cathedral of Seville and another in Vergara and St. John; and the Granadan school, to which Alonso Cano belonged, to whom the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of the Rosary are attributed.

Other famous sculptors, representatives of the Andalusian Baroque were Pedro de Mena, Pedro Roldan and his daughter Luisa Roldan, Juan de Mesa and Pedro Duque Cornejo.

The Vallaolid school of the 17th century (Gregorio Fernandez, Francisco del Rincon) was replaced in the 18th century by the Madrid school, although it had less brilliance; by the middle of the century it had turned into a purely academic style. In turn, the Andalusian school was replaced by the Murcian school, personified by Francisco Salcillo in the first half of the century. This sculptor is distinguished by the originality, fluidity and dynamic processing of his works, even those that represented a great tragedy. More than 1,800 works are attributed to him, his most famous creations being the sculptures carried out in the Good Friday procession in Murcia, the most notable of which are the Prayer of the Cup and the Kiss of Judas.

In the 20th century, the most prominent Spanish sculptors were Julio Gonzalez, Pablo Gargallo, Eduardo Chillida and Pablo Serrano.

From: Mikhailova Alexandra,  29912 views

Spain boasts brilliant artists. But if they weren’t there, no one would be surprised.

After all, this country has almost always been conservative. And where there is excessive moral inertia, and even more so the Inquisition, innovators do not survive or are simply not born.

Therefore, I was always amazed how these artists managed to present their innovations to the world!

How El Greco was 300 years ahead of his time, working in the style of expressionism. And Velazquez began to create 200 years earlier in!

I propose to take a closer look at these talented and brilliant Spaniards.

1. El Greco (1541-1614)

El Greco. Portrait of an old man (presumably a self-portrait). 1600 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Greek Spaniard or Spanish Greek Dominicos Theotokopoulos almost single-handedly pulled off spanish renaissance. If the Italians had a whole galaxy of masters. Then the Spaniards can exhale: they also had a renaissance. Thanks to El Greco.

Creating mostly religious paintings, he boldly destroyed the proposed canons.

Just look at the painting “The Removal of Christ’s Clothes.”

El Greco. The Removal of Christ's Clothes (Espolio). 1579 Toledo Cathedral in Spain

Instead of several figures, there is a whole crowd. Instead of perspective there is an impenetrable wall of characters.

Instead of easily readable emotions, there are complex feelings. Just look at the uncomprehending look of Saint Mary. She didn't seem to realize what was about to happen. Psychologists would call this a defensive reaction to extreme stress.

But this is not enough for El Greco. A few years later he created an even more amazing work. Not a picture - but the universe. From the smallest embroidery stories in the attire of saints. Until there is a clear division of the world into two halves: worldly and heavenly.

I am, of course, talking about “The Burial of Count Orgaz.”

El Greco. Burial of Count Orgaz. 1588 Church of São Tomé in Toledo

And we immediately notice elongated bodies. Rather, El Greco observed such a distortion of forms from the Mannerists. At least from the same Parmigianino. Perhaps the experience of creating Byzantine icons also overlapped (after all, he was originally from Greek Crete).

Over time, he further exaggerated this feature. This is clearly visible in his late work Laocoon.

El Greco. Laocoon. 1614 National Gallery Washington

The artist intuitively understood that through changes in form his characters could tell us about their feelings and experiences. After all, they are devoid of movement.

Have you noticed that the cityscape in the background is also very unusual? He is closer to Van Gogh and Cezanne than to the aesthetics of the Renaissance.

Before El Greco, no one in Western painting had distorted forms so much. And after him, artists strived for realistic proportions. That is why they considered him an eccentric and incompetent for 300 years.

He was forgotten and not remembered. And only at the end of the 19th century did everyone realize how ahead of his time he was. Now the newly found El Greco in the history of art forever.

2. Diego Velazquez (1599-1660)

Diego Velazquez. Meninas (fragment with a self-portrait). 1656

Velazquez's innovations are striking to the core. Not only did he live in a very conservative society, but he was also a court artist!

This means that he had picky customers who did not care about innovation. If only it was “beautiful and similar.” In such conditions, any innovation easily languishes.

But not Velasquez. By some miracle, the customers forgave him everything, apparently intuitively understanding that thanks to this artist they would be remembered in 500 years. And they were right.

However, even Velazquez, the cruel Inquisition was not going to make concessions on everything. Painting nudes was considered a serious crime.

Yet Velazquez managed to create a masterpiece with a beautiful naked body even in such conditions.

Diego Velazquez. Venus in front of the mirror. 1647-1651 National Gallery London

True, he wrote his beautiful “Venus” while in Italy. Then he secretly brought it to Spain and handed it over to an influential minister for safekeeping. And the Inquisition didn’t just break into his house looking for nudity.

Even from this “Venus” it is clear why Velazquez stood out so much. With your vitality. After all, there is no doubt that this real woman. Beautiful, but real. Her pose is so relaxed and natural.

Presumably, this is the artist’s Italian lover. He prudently protected her by turning his back to us. And he reflected his face in a cloudy mirror.

There in Italy, Velazquez painted the legendary portrait of Pope Innocent X.

Diego Velazquez. Portrait of Pope Innocent X. 1650 Gallery Doria Pamphilj, Rome

Velazquez managed to very accurately convey the tough and treacherous character of the Pope.

It would seem that the 75-year-old pontiff appears to us in the most majestic form. But the prickly, strong-willed gaze, compressed lips and the poisonous red color of the robe speak of the true values ​​of this person.

How did Velazquez again manage to achieve vitality even in a ceremonial portrait?

The fact is that Velazquez was lucky enough to meet the Pope walking through one of the Vatican galleries. He walked alone and did not have the usual “mask” on his face. It was then that Velazquez understood his character and transferred his impression to the canvas.

Returning from Italy, Velazquez continued to perform his duties as a courtier.

But don't think that Velazquez was unhappy. He himself aspired to become the king's artist, as he was vain. Therefore, he resignedly painted countless portraits of aristocrats, and did not even disdain to take out the chamber pot for His Highness.

But among these similar works there is an extremely unusual portrait of the royal family: “Las Meninas”.

Diego Velazquez. Meninas. 1656

This picture contains a very unusual idea.

Velazquez decided to show us what his world looks like on the other side of the canvas. We see what is happening through the eyes of those who... pose for the artist.

We see the artist working on a portrait of the King and his wife. And they stand in our place (or we stand in their place) and look at the artist. And then the princess, their daughter, came into the workshop with her retinue to visit her parents.

Something like “random shots”. When an artist preferred to paint his heroes not on stage, but behind the scenes.

We notice another feature in “Las Meninas”. These are quick, vibrating strokes. At the same time, the artist does not distinguish between the background and the characters. Everything is woven as if from a single fabric. This is exactly how the impressionists will write 200 years later, the same.

Yes, skill knows no bounds... without fear of the Inquisition or stagnant morality. Imagine what Velazquez could have created if he had lived in a freer era! In, for example.

3. José de Ribera (1591-1652)

Giuseppe McPherson. Portrait of José de Ribera. 1633-1656 Royal Collection, London

“The Little Spaniard” (as he was also called) Jose de Ribera moved to Italy at the age of 14. But his painting always remained Spanish, not much like Italian academicism.

Here in Italy he was amazed by painting. And, of course, I couldn’t resist working in the tenebroso technique. This is when the main character is in the dark and is only snatched out of it by dim light.

This Caravaggio technique suited Ribera’s general style very well. He simply loved action-packed biblical and mythological stories. And it is the tenebroso that brings this action-packed plot to its climax.

His main characters are those who accept suffering for the sake of a higher goal. Like, for example, Prometheus.

Jose de Ribera. Prometheus. 1830 Private collection

Ribera’s naturalism takes one’s breath away. And it’s not just a matter of very accurate representation of the real body. And also in how the wounds look and how the hero reacts emotionally to his suffering.

The fact is that Ribera visited prisons and observed with his own eyes the torture of convicts. This one is from the 17th century. Only Degas went to the theater to spy on the ballerinas. And this Spaniard went to places of detention and looked for plausibility for his martyrs.

After some time, the master begins to move away from Caravaggism. However, fighters for high ideals are still his main heroes. And one of these masterpieces is “The Martyrdom of St. Philip.”

Jose de Ribera. Martyrdom of Saint Philip. 1639 Prado Museum, Madrid

We see the saint a few seconds before he is strung up on the rack. The worst thing in physical terms has not yet arrived. But there is an opportunity to empathize with the impending inevitable end and admire the humility of the saint.

Ribera enhances the drama by depicting the martyr strictly diagonally. His figure, lean and long, barely fits into the picture. It’s as if Gulliver (spiritually) was captured to be torn to pieces by small, pathetic people.

Ribera also became famous for painting people with anomalies. Lame legs, dwarfs and women with beards are also frequent heroes of his paintings.

But do not think that this was his painful desire. Such were the customs at court. The aristocracy loved to keep such people as jesters and essentially slaves. And the artists painted them, again for the amusement of the guests.

One of the most famous of these works by the master is “Magdalena with her husband and son.”

Jose de Ribera. Magdalena Ventura with her husband and son (Bearded Woman). 1631 Tabera Hospital in Toledo, Spain

A 37-year-old woman experienced a hormonal imbalance and as a result she began to grow a beard. The customer demanded to draw her with a baby in her arms. Although by that time she was already over 50. Her sons had grown up long ago, and her breasts were clearly not so lush. But the baby and the breast made this mistake of nature more eloquent.

But unlike the customers, Ribera only sympathized with such people. And the eyes of the unhappy woman express the artist’s true attitude towards her.

4. Francisco Goya (1746-1828)

Vicente Lopez Portanha. Portrait of Francisco Goya. 1819 Prado Museum, Madrid.

Goya’s mother told her son, “You were born not as a rose, but as an onion. You’ll die with a bow.” This is about the obstinate and pugnacious character of her son. Yes, Francisco Goya was a very temperamental person.

The stories about how he left his signature on... the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, and also kidnapped and seduced a nun from the monastery speak volumes.

He received a superficial education and wrote with errors all his life. But that didn't stop him from becoming the greatest artist. He was able to achieve the almost impossible.

He painted a naked woman, but did not fall into the clutches of the Inquisition. However, Velasquez performed this trick first.

He managed to remain a court artist almost his entire life. But at the same time he actively expressed his civic position in his works. But the monarchs seemed not to notice anything.

He seduced one beautiful aristocrat after another, despite poor health and deafness.

This is one of the most daring artists, whose brush is like a sword, and whose colors are daring words. However, Goya also took part in real duels and verbal skirmishes more than once.

Let's take a look at his most outstanding works.

Thinking about Goya, we, of course, immediately remember his “Nude Maja”.

Francisco Goya. Maha naked. 1795-1800 Prado Museum, Madrid.

For the first time, nudity appeared not like Velasquez’s, furtively and on the sly, but in all its shameless splendor. No pretense, just sensuality and outright eroticism.

Goya worked at court for a long time, however, he did not tolerate ingratiation and lies. Just look at his canvas.

Francisco Goya. Portrait of the family of Charles IV. 1800 Prado Museum, Madrid.

How much irony there is in relation to royalty! In the center, the author depicts Queen Mary, clearly hinting that she, and not Charles, rules the country.

It’s amazing how the artist was allowed to create such a contrast: between the clothes of the royal couple and their faces! The luxury and shine of gold cannot hide the mediocrity of the heroes and the outright “simpleness” of the king.

And of course, one cannot ignore his work “Execution on May 3rd”. This is a picture about the heroism of ordinary Spaniards during the occupation by Napoleonic troops.

Francisco Goya. May 3, 1808 in Madrid. 1814 Prado, Madrid

In the moment before the salvo, each of the doomed rebels looks different: someone humbly waits, someone prays, someone cries.

But one Spaniard in a white shirt is ready to face death without fear. The artist brought him to his knees. And if you imagine that he gets up, he turns out to be just a giant. And the guns of the French soldiers seemed to be aimed only at him.

So Goya for the first time showed the feat and courage of a common man. Before him, it was not commoners who were portrayed as heroes. This is a completely new look at historical painting.

Undoubtedly, Goya still amazes today with his courage, eccentricity and humanism. He was a master with a special attitude.

For us, he is an artist of special power, as a spiritual leader. Who will not flatter those in power, will not ignore the heroism of the common man, and will not turn away from beauty, even if it is considered sinful and base.

5. Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973)

Pablo Picasso. Self-portrait. 1907 National Gallery of Prague

Picasso is considered the most famous artist in the world. True, most people know him as a cubist. Although he did not work in the style of pure cubism for long. He was both an expressionist and a surrealist. He was a chameleon artist.

It doesn't really matter what style he worked in. Its main feature is numerous experiments with form. He crumpled the shape, pulled it out, squeezed it, crushed it and showed it from all sides.

He began with careful experiments, imitating El Greco. It was from him that he spied deformed forms. And just like El Greco, he stretched out his figures during his.

Pablo Picasso. Two sisters. 1902 Hermitage

Cezanne looked for opportunities to express the essence of a thing in color, form and perspective. Picasso, with the help of Cubism, brought this idea to completion.

By using different angles vision and elements of the subject, he tried to trigger an associative series in the viewer: to show the essence of the thing, and not its image.

Pablo Picasso. Composition with cut pear. 1914 Hermitage

In the painting “Pear” we do NOT see an image of a pear. But we see speckled pieces of canvas: we have a memory of a similar texture of pear pulp. Delicate beige and brown are also associated with pear. Not to mention the character arc.

All these fragments of the image of a pear evoke in us not only a visual memory of the pear, but also of its taste and how it feels to the touch.

It is this concept of expressing the essence, and not the image, that is leading in Picasso’s painting. Even when he moves away from the typical “cubes” and writes in a style close to surrealism.

These include portraits of Marie-Therese Walter.

Pablo Picasso. Dream. 1932 Private collection

During his exhausting and crumbling marriage to Khokhlova, Picasso accidentally met the young Marie-Therese.

He always depicted it as colorful and wavy, with cubist elements. After all, her face is shown simultaneously from two points of view: both in profile and full face.

Thus, he turns all her sensuality and tenderness, extreme femininity inside out. And this despite the fact that there was something masculine in her figure. But the forms are meant to emphasize the essence, and not to depict the outer shell of the model.

Picasso is a great experimenter. His main test subject is the form. It was subject to changes in a huge number of the artist’s works. After all, he was also one of the most prolific artists in the world. As he himself said about himself: “Give me a museum, and I will fill it with my paintings.”

Five great painters, five Spaniards are among the creators contemporary art. Despite the fact that most of them lived 200-300 years ago.

Contemporary artists draw inspiration from their work. They provide an impulse that still fuels world culture.

We can only be grateful, cherish their legacy and, of course, admire them.

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