GOLDEN AGE OF SPAIN: Painting Sculpture Architecture
JOAN SUREDA Book Number: 69568 Product format: Hardback
Very little work has been done at Bibliophile during the last couple of days while we gazed, open-mouthed at the glorious reproductions in this unforgettable volume. Our stock of synonyms for 'superb' and 'stunning' has run out and we are speechless with admiration. Here are the awe-inspiring masterpieces of Spanish painting, sculpture and architecture from 1492 to 1659, when Spain was the richest and most powerful country in Europe. They encompass such works as the glowing Virgin of the Immaculate Conception by José de Ribera, the renowned, tragic Ecce Homo in carved and polychromed wood, the intricate marble doorway in La Calahorra Palace, the Conquest of Tunis tapestries, woven in gold, silver, silk and wool, in the Palacio Real Madrid, the monumental monastery, El Escorial, that was the seat of the Spanish monarchy, and an amazingly detailed close-up photo of the renowned Las Meninas which has made us appreciate Goya's portrait even more. This period was marked by the exuberance of baroque and the paintings of Zurbarán, Murillo and El Greco, and culminated in a blaze of glory with the paintings of Diego Velázquez. They and many, many others are celebrated in this magnificent volume. To add to the reader's pleasure, Joan Sureda, the famous Catalan art historian and museum director, places the works of the Golden Age in a cultural, historical and aesthetic context, shedding new light on some of the most celebrated works of the period. This is the first book in English to give a complete picture of the sumptuousness of the era and it is not to be missed. 304 pages 30 x 25mm in eye-dazzling colour with many double page spreads and incredible close-up photos.
Published price: £40
Bibliophile price: £20.00
