Department of Art History

This course focuses on art made in Spain from the middle of the sixteenth century through the end of the seventeenth century. The periods witnessed the rise and fall of Spain's political fortunes on the European and world stages, and the emergence of a distinctive and influential school of painting. The course will begin with classes on the Renaissance in Spain, much beholden to the powerful traditions of Italian art, and move on to a discussion of El Escorial, the massive monastery/palace complex built for King Philip II outside Madrid. The bulk of this course will consist of an examination of issues related to the artists that truly made this a golden age of painting: El Greco, Velázquez, Ribera, and Murillo.