Class ARH - 4662 “Velazquez and the Golden Age” Title: “Bukery Venus” (Venus at Her mirror) Dimensions: 4’0” x 5’ 10” (1.22m x 1.77 mm), Year: 1645-1651, Media: Oil paint

The Golden Age in Spain has been characterized as an artistic and literary period that extended from the Renaissance to the Baroque. History has recorded it as the period that reached the greatest literary flourishing in Spain thus earning it the title of "The Golden Age." The invaluable developments that followed this esthetic movement triggered a relevant prestige in many Spanish people's lives that felt absorbed and totally part the new movement that was leading the 16th and the 17th centuries in Europe, by combining cultural and economic advances. On the other hand and from a historic and social point of view, it should be mentioned that this period was also marked by the Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church, along with many religious movements aimed at reaffirming Christian beliefs. From the point of view of culture, art and literature were leading the years of the Golden Age; as a result, the Hispanic letters, along with other writings published during this period have to endure contributions to the Universal Literature. The blooming of the Golden Age brought the glory to Spain in terms of artistic developments, where beautiful and unique writings, such as prose, poetry, and drama plays were taking the leadership up front. Especially the plays became characterized as a concentric and constant diffusion of humanism and Christianity beliefs. Due to the new flow of Christianity faith, almost all the art that was created during these two centuries serve religious beliefs. Some of the best known names were Fray Luis de Leon, St. Teresa of Jesus, and St. Juan of the Croix. Their writings would highlight the presence of God using a very allegoric way. There were other types of publications, like the compilation of five short narrations called "Suenos" by Francisco de Quevedo. In this book, Quevedo reviewed the mainstream of the Spanish culture and intentionally shaped the human moral attitude. Later, the literary format "novel" comes in and acquires a sophisticated importance. Many authors opted for the creation of novels based on Moorish and Byzantine culture, inspired by the wars between Christians and Moors in the Spanish peninsula. In addition, other artists opted instead, for a picturesque description that reviewed the hard everyday living inside the Spanish communities. However, at the height of the Golden Age, the best claimed stories were found in the books of chivalry that concealed within itself a fantastic tone and adventurous presence. It was published a novel that was considerate the masterpiece of the Spanish literature, "El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha," written by one of the major exponents of the period, Miguel de Cervantes Isaavedra. The novel immediately acquired great success inside reader circles, mainly because of its marked contrast between idealism and realism. Today, the novel "The Quijote," stands as a classic of Universal Literature. On the other side of the literary developments, painting was also acquiring high importance inside the art world, in where painters were exploring different conceptions. They conceived the main idea based on a perfect world given by the interaction in between socio-economic and political conditions from their artistic perspective. Painting was in constant development while combining other major artistic centers of Europe, like it was the case of Italy and Netherlands. Describing the economic, social, and political aspects of Spain during the Golden Age, it is easier to give the country the attribution of a historical model. The Spanish reign received artistic impulses from other distinctive cultures and Spain gathered all those impulses and transformed them at its convenience. This way, the new influences brought from the new tendency were in serve of competing the society's needs. Mannerist formulas were favored by many artists, who wanted to create an urgent sense of drama. Nevertheless, the primary and profoundly artistic development by excellence was the Baroque movement in the 16th century with a realistic visual synthesis and a pre-dominion on pictorial, rather than tactile values. Art, in general, developed an analytical approach, that at the same time encouraged virtuosity. The use of light enhanced a key function that became one of the most important characteristics of the period. Light imitated a severe but noble style that reached a fundamental function in painting, the chiaroscuro. Therefore, artists would be concerned about specific choices of colors that would serve their interest in a faithful reproduction of their subject. Painting acquired a great importance in terms of light and brightness; therefore many artists took more into consideration the use of gradual tones and guided the European painting throughout the paths of naturalistic realism. By the 16th century, Spain was probably the richest and most powerful country in the world, thanks to the importations of gold and silver. As a result, the society's wealthy status expanded and incremented, which indeed, it developed an interest in both art and literature. Consequently, people started buying more art works and the artists' name became to be known across Spain. Some of the best known artists of this period have also come to be recognized as Spanish masters. They were Diego Velazquez, Cristobal Ramirez de Arellano, El Greco, Jose de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbaran, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, and Juan van der Hamen y Leon, just to mention a few names. These artists' contributions were shaping and polishing the Golden Age period in terms of painting until they reached an extraordinary and refined execution with a classical theme in reference to naturalistic details. When analyzing important figures, which artistic contributions remain until these days, the name of Diego Velazquez it's impossible to skip; gaining a tremendous recognition as one of the major Spanish artists brought over by the Golden Age. Velazquez (1599-1660) was born in Seville, where he received a wonderful education that included philosophy and languages. However, arts suddenly became his favorite subject. During this period, Diego Velazquez gained experience from his first painting teacher, Herrera the Elder, while developing all kind of skills, until the point he started to be known inside the community of artists in Andalusia, south of Spain. He learned that nature, on itself, was going to be his best teacher; the reason why, he would dedicate many hours to draw all kind of things and living organisms from the real world. Certainly, his dedication and love for painting were the main aspects that shaped and polished his invaluable talent. Later in his life, he became friends with other great artists in Spain, like El Greco and especially Titian that likes so much, who Velazquez truly admired. His interest in Titian's art work helped him master the use of brilliant coloring. A perfect combination of sober tones that blended with bright colors resulted in an effective contrast in his art work. His fame was ascending with incredible input and as a consequence, he was finally brought to the King's attention, Philip IV. Under the king’s patronage he executed numerous paintings covering themes like historical events, religion, court life, etc. Indeed, his artistic qualities helped him enjoy a comfortable status inside the Spanish court until the end of his days. His works combined a superb elegance in the brush work, along with splendid tones and a psychological approach. Diego Velazquez subject may vary from one to another but his style strikes perfect balance within the graphic, the pictorial, and the detail representation, an artistic aspect that could be observed in one of his most popular works, the crucified Christ. Years later, the same painting inspired the creation of a famous poem by Miguel de Unamuno. Diego Velazquez's fame was rising around Europe, a reason that motivated his visits to Italy. On his second trip to Italy, Velazquez was commissioned the creation of a special portrait for the Pope Innocent X; a painting that was later reported as one of the finest art works in Rome. However, Diego Velazquez masterpiece "Las Meninas" (Maids oh Honor) became without any doubt one of the finest art works around the world. Diego Velazquez completed this painting toward the end of the last period of his career while showing mastery in execution of space, depth, and movement. Another painting that was considered of great importance was "Rokeby Venus," his first female nude. In this painting Velazquez succeeded in portraying his feelings, brought out by a strong physical presence reproduced with a great color scheme. In most of it, Velazquez used a variety of neutral colors that are combined in the background, while leaving a suggestive and direct emotional response to a vivid and bright red color that simultaneously catch the viewer's attention. "The Rokeby Venus," or "Venus at Her Mirror" it's an enigmatic art work among his most famous paintings, where Velazquez opted for sharing a different projection, something no typical of his painting. Perhaps, the major importance behind this painting was given by the contrast of an asymmetrical meaning, in which Diego Velazquez used an ordinary representation of a nude female body that spoiled the canons and main characteristics of all his previews ecclesiastic portraits, which debased the value and/or quality of significant paintings that respond to Christian beliefs. When observing the painting, an attempt to penetrate the figure's character inside the canvas is immediately deciphered as Velazquez’s main intention. He attributed to an artistic nude, the representation of two different characters identifying opposite emotions. However, in this case, Velazquez engaged them in such strange and audacious artistic picture. As in most humans’ encounters, expectations are automatically assumed, along with a desired impetus to the mystery, which in this case has been previously concealed in the painting with an intellectual approach. Soft and smooth lines travel side to side the painting, something that might help to determine the mood status of the artist when painting this art work. From a personal opinion, I believe that a figurative painting constitutes a direct encounter between the artist and the outside world. Somehow, an organized and simple disposition of the image defined the final opinion that swings along the canvas. The comfortable reclining position of the female's body draws an intentional line in a diagonal disposition from the bottom left to a higher level right. Indeed, such artistic and pictorial movement supports the artistic balance methods inquired in the painting. Otherwise, if Velazquez would have adopted an austere and rigid posture for the woman's position, then the final result would have transmitted an overloaded space. The mystery behind the angel's character in the canvas is not other than a symbolic one that it’s also reflected on the females. Strength, power, ingenuity, pain, and beauty have been braided and inserted in the painting, while suggesting different aspects of Diego Velazquez's personal's beliefs. The major connotation, perhaps, has been given by the mirror, which takes place in "Rokeby Venus" as the ideological and realistic center of the canvas. The intentional objective that falls behind the artistic recurs depicts a similar action to when you look inside your self-person and indeed, it is one of the mirror's best merits in terms of artistic expression. As unique as it is, this painting was the first and last one of its kind Diego Velazquez did throughout his career. Maybe, it was a simple desire for developing a new style or trend as part of a good academic development or the need of sharing a different message. It can be many the definitions that come out of such ambiguous painting, in where many of them can also be right. That’s the magic of the painting, and what artists learn to manipulate in order to get back the best results. Diego Velazquez has been known as an important part inside the Spanish history and his contributions could appealed to obtain the status of academic discipline inside the Hispanic portray. His art works belongs to many exhibitions around the world, although the major collection can be found in the museum, "The Prado" in Madrid. Work Cited • Moffitt, John F. The Arts in Spain. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1999. Print • Crow, John Armstrong. Spain: The Root and the Flower: A History of the Civilization of Spain and of the Spanish People. New York: Harper & Row, 1975. Print. • Crow, John Armstrong. Spanish American Life. [New York]: H. Holt and, 1941. Print • “Diego Velazquez” by August L. Mayer. Review by: John Shapley. The Art Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Jun., 1926), pp. 256-258. Published by: College Art Association. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3046525 • “Cassiano dal Pozzo on Diego Velázquez” by Enriqueta Harris. The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 112, No. 807 (Jun., 1970), pp. 364+366-373. Published by: The Burlington Magazine Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/876336 • Juan de Pareja by Diego Velázquez: An Appreciation of the Portrait by Theodore Rousseau. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin , New Series, Vol. 29, No. 10, Juan de Pareja by Diego Velazquez (Jun., 1971), pp. 449-451. Published by: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3258521 • Velázquez in Italy: Painters, Spies, and Low Spaniards by Edward L. Goldberg. The Art Bulletin, Vol. 74, No. 3 (Sep., 1992), pp. 453-456. Published by: College Art Association Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3045893 • The Companion of Velázquez's Rokeby Venus and a Source for Goya's Naked Maja by Duncan Bull and Enriqueta Harris. The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 128, No. 1002 (Sep., 1986), pp. 643-654. Published by: The Burlington Magazine Publications Ltd. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/882740 • Velázquez: Painter and Courtier by Jonathan Brown. Review by: Malcolm Campbell. Hispanic Review, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Winter, 1988), pp. 108-110. Published by University of Pennsylvania Press. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/474207 • "Las Meninas" and the Mirror of the Prince by Joel Snyder. Critical Inquiry, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Jun., 1985), pp. 539-572. Published by: The University of Chicago Press. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343417