"Las Meninas", (The Ladies-in-Waiting) 1656, by Diego Velazquez (Prado Museum)
The art and architecture of Spain as seen in the works of El Greco, Goya, Velazquez, Picasso, and Gaudi offer a window into the influences that define the country's history and national identity. Art historian Joseph Cassar highlights four artists and four structures that exemplify Spain’s distinctive cultural heritage.
9:30–10:45 a.m. El Greco and Velazquez
El Greco’s expressionistic and mystical altarpieces for churches in the Castilian citadel of Toledo glorified and dramatized the mysteries of the Catholic faith. Diego da Silva Velázquez attained renown in Habsburg-ruled Madrid for his splendid realistic portraiture, notably his famous composition Las Meninas.
11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Goya and Picasso
Francisco de Goya of Saragossa embraced ideals of the Enlightenment that ultimately evolved to a dark Romanticism in his “Black Paintings.” Pablo Picasso was a force of nature, and his work added a bold new direction to the artistic legacy of his forbears.
12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1:30–2:45 p.m. Santiago de Compostela and the Alhambra
The magnificent Galician catehedral of Santiago de Compostela welcomed pilgrims through its famed Portico of Glory by Master Mateo. The opulent Nasrid residences of the Alhambra at Granada includes “starry” halls for musical pleasure and intimate garden miradores.
3–4 p.m. Gaudi in Barcelona
The Sagrada Familia cathedral is an inventive recasting of traditional Gothic church designs in Barcelona. Casa Batllo and Casa Mila showcase Gaudi’s Catalan modernisme.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit
Other Connections
Step into the fanciful world of Barcelona’s Casa Batllo, Gaudi’s early-20th-century architectural triumph, with a stunning virtual tour.
