A Good Reason To Visit Spain : Spanish Art

Spanish art has one of the most admirable works and many artists have great influences on other artists and cultures as well as their own. One of the motivations of travelers coming to Spain is to see the beautiful works of these Spanish artists.

A brief introduction to Spanish art could be helpful to understand Spanish culture better.
In 17^th century, a talented man was born in Seville and spent his whole life time  with painting the wondrous moments of the kingdom and his age. His name was Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velazquez. He witnessed the tough times of Spain after Renaissance brought illumination, innovation, differences while the monarchy had isolated the country from the effects of the outer world. Yet that didn’t stop Velazquez to picture the reality, the customs, the aristocrats and the lower part of the society. Formerly the figures were flat and darkened left its side to more contrasts and motion.
Another Spanish artist influenced by Velazquez was Francisco de Goya. He worked as the official painter of Charles III, the most supportive of the Spanish monarchs of the 18^th century. His works reflect the everday Spanish life, well description tapestries and salesmen. Being deaf after a disease made him depressed and affected his works in a satirical way. He influenced the French artist Manet and Picasso at a great extent.
The works of both artists can be seen in Prado Museum in Madrid.

El Greco is considered to be one of the greatest artists in Spanish painting. Deeply influenced by the works of Renaissance artists, he decided to move to Spain. He spent most of his lifetime in Toledo till he died. The city is the host of his many art works and La Trinidad must be seen in the church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo.

With modernism and the changing world, Spanish art also started to have a different perspective. Cubism is one them and the name Pablo Picasso is known by everyone in the world. He was a revolutionist, creative and passionate. In contrast to traditional painting, he broke the forms of the images and reformed as if trying to view life from the other side of the medallion. His famous painting Guernica portrayed the cruel side of human nature and violence. Reina Sofia Museum is one of the first stop for tourists to see this masterpiece.

“There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad.” once said Salvador Dali and if it was true, madness would be his natural gift. His works were mostly influenced by the theories of Freud and used dreamlike figures along with ordinary objects. His surrealist approach gained him a strong position in world art and Abstract Expressionists followed his belief.

It is necessary to spare a good amount of time to your visit in Spain and enjot the finest moments in art!