EL GRECO TO VELAZQUEZ - Art During The Reign of Philip III

EL GRECO (1541-1614)

VELAZQUEZ (1599-1660)

The product of twenty years of research, and illustrated with a sumptuousness befitting its subject, El Greco to Velázquez is sure to become a standard reference for students of Spanish art.

Philip III (1578-1621) presided over an era of crucial artistic development in Spain. His reign was a time of cultural and political vitality for the Spanish monarchy, as the king and his court ushered in a style of grandeur where fabulous gala celebrations, building campaigns, picture collecting, recreation and travel were the order of the day.

The art of this period flourished, witnessing the birth of a naturalistic style that was reflected in a new attention to detail and spatiality in court portraiture; the thriving of still life; the humanizing of saints; and the development of polychromatic sculpture.

Focusing on the careers of the mature El Greco and the young Velázquez, this comprehensive and beautiful book also investigates the works of lesser-known but highly talented artists who exerted a critical influence on the development of Spanish painting.

Essays by noted scholars provide indispensable perspectives on the historical, literary, cultural and religious context in which these artists lived.

Sarah Schroth is Adjunct Associate Professor and Nancy Hanks Senior Curator, Nasher Museum of Art.
Ronni Baer is Curator of European Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Edited by Sarah Schroth
Ronni Baer
With essays by Ronni Baer
Laura Bass
Antonio Feros
Rosemarie Mulcahy
Sarah Schroth