The Golden Age of Spanish Culture in Berlin
This summer in the Gemäldegalerie a major exhibition of Spanish painting and sculpture from the 17th century will be showcased in the German capital
July 20th, 2016
This summer, and for the first time outside of Spain, Berlin will be hosting an exhibition of 130 masterpieces of the golden age of Spanish art. It is one of the most significant popular episodes in European history materialized by artists such as: Velázquez, El Greco, Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé E.Murillo, Alonso Cano and Gregorio Fernández.
The exposition is being held under the mutual authority of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain and the German Federal President Joachim Gauck. It is also the result of a collaboration between the Embassy of Spain, the Instituto Cervantes and the Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums).
The fascinating exhibition will take place in the Gemäldegalerie, which holds one of the world's leading collections of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries. From the 1st of July 2016 to the 30th of October the center will pair for the first time in Germany these works which will reveal the wealth of 17th century Spanish art on scale never seen before. A central task of the exhibition will be to provide a comparative perspective on the evolution of painting and sculpture of the period.
The exposition serves to understand and learn about historical developments in Spain, such as art production, which was strongly linked with the social and political events of the 17th century. Focusing on the trajectories of the artistic centres of Toledo, Madrid, Seville and Valencia, the collection will show how Spanish art reached its apex in a period when the country, previously considered the most powerful in the continent, was confronted with a continuous loss of political influence and the increasing impact of the religious reformations and other internal crises.
At the same time, its dynasty, the House of Habsburg, suffered from its own decadence but nevertheless they were firm supporters of art, as the main patrons of painters and sculptors. In the century of Miguel de Cervantes, the visual language and iconography was essentially used as an instrument of political propaganda, intended to maintain the chimera of fortitude and stability in a realm which was gradually losing power.
In other terms, the museums will offer viewers a unique opportunity to acquaint themselves with this important era in the history of European art through original paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Furthermore, it will be accompanied by an extensive educational program and a series of concerts, films, and lectures at Berlin's Kulturforum.
References:
- - http://www.exteriores.gob.es/embajadas/berlin/es/Paginas/inicio.aspx#6
- - http://www.spanien-kultur.de/EL-SIGLO-DE-ORO-DIE-ARA-VELAZQUEZ
- - http://www.el-siglo-de-oro.de/en/home.html
- - http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/gemaeldegalerie/home.html
