The golden age of Spain: painting, sculpture, architecture

Abstract

This stunning book covers the historic, literary and artistic grandeur of Spain during its Golden Age (14921659). This period, marked by conquest and Catholicism, the writings of Miguel de Cervantes, and the paintings of Greco, ended in a blaze of glory with the paintings of Diego Velazquez. Stunning works of the Golden Age include Jose de Riberas, Immaculate Conception and El Grecos many disturbing paintings for Escorial, the enormous and magnificent monastery that was the seat of the Spanish monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church. Here, Joan Sureda places the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Golden Age in a cultural, historical and aesthetic context. It is the first book in English to explore Golden Age paintings alongside architecture and sculpture to give a complete picture of the era. This is a monumental achievement: all of the artworks have been specially photographed for the book, which will be published simultaneously in English, Russian and French.