The golden age in Spain

6. THE GOLDEN AGE IN SPAIN WHAT WAS THE GOLDEN AGE? - The Golden Age was the great flowering of Spanish ar and literature in the second half of the 16 th century and much of the 17 th century.

- Its greatest writers and artists, like Cervantes and Velรกzquez, are recognised as being key figures in European civilisation.

6. THE GOLDEN AGE IN SPAIN LITERATURE - Fiction: - Cervantes’ Don Quijote de la Mancha is a masterpiece of world literature.

- The picaresque novels that narrated the adventures of low-born heroes (Quevedo’ s La Vida del Buscón and the anonymous Lazarillo de Tormes).

- Theatre: - Playwrights like Lope de Vega and calderón de la Barca wrote comedies and tragedies that examined the human dilemma.

- Tirso de Molina created the character Don Juan.

- Poetry: - Quevedo’s poetry was brilliant, concise and cynical.

- Góngora’s style was much more elaborate.

- They disliked and criticised each other.

6. THE GOLDEN AGE IN SPAIN PAINTING - In the 17 th century, Spanish oainting reached a very high level of achievement.

- Painters: - Zurbarรกn painted austere religious scenes and highly detailed still lifes.

- Murillo painted religious scenes.

- Ribera mainly worked in Naples. His use of colour was influenced by the Italian painter Caravaggio.

6. THE GOLDEN AGE IN SPAIN -

THE GENIUS OF VELÁQUEZ The most important Spanish painter was Diego de Velázquez.

He was one of the greatest artists of all time.

He was born in Sevilla.

His early work was highly realistic and he often painted scenes from low life (The Old Woman Frying Eggs) He went to live in Madrid where King Felipe IV made him the court painter.

So many of his paintings represented menbers of the royal family and courtiers like the Count-Duke of Olivares.

He also painted sympathetic portraits of buffoons and dwarfs.

He made two visits to Italy, where he studied the work of the great Italian painters.

After his first visit to Italy, he returned to Madrid where he painted many of his ortraits, nudes and landscapes.

He depicted contemporary events such as The Surrender of Breda.

Velazquez ‘s later style developed after a second visit to Italy: -

He created complex compositions which showed complete mastery of perspective and the effects of light.

His later style included mythological paintings like The Fable of Arachne (Las Hilanderas) and Las Meninas, his extraordinary portrayal of Felipe IV’s family.