SPANISH ART. At the beginning of any profound study of the greatest of the Spanish paintings, which were those of the 17th century, should stand the fact, the true significance of which has hitherto been overlooked by art critics, that the production of the famous ironwork of Spain trained eye and hand taught marvelous celerity and certainty of exe cution — through many centuries that preceded the 17th. The Moors had expressed, with iron as a medium, not only their basic principles of design, but also the delicate and elaborate method they applied to the precious metals.
During the Romanesque and early Gothic periods French ironwork also exerted its influ ence in the western peninsula. Afterward, Ital ian Renaissance architecture, as it was inter preted and applied in Spain, gave to the iron worker such an opportunity for the exercise of his talent that he achieved grandeur and architectonic quality in his work, surpassing the attainments of iron-masters in other lands; and, if we are to appreciate the distin guishing characteristics of such pictures as the 'Spinners' and the 'Meninas,' painted after the manner of an instantaneous photograph, we must remember that the artistic ironworker was generally an expert in other arts as well, and sometimes the ancestor of a painter who thus inherited, as did Velasquez, for example, rapidity with certainty of execu tion, power in combination with delicacy. In this connection we may cite the following char acterization of the Gothic and Renaissance iron work: "The charm of the Gothic cannot be denied. Produced, as it were, by feverish, powerful blows delivered during the brief mo ment that the mass was glowing hot, it is a sort of solidified impressionism and appeals accordingly. This mediaeval spontaneity, it is true, eluded the more sophisticated Renais sance worker; but not the mediaeval crafts manship. This he retained and added to by his command of newer processes and his greater knowledge of design till he had reduced the mightiest of all metals to an obedience that would have been unbelievable to his predeces sors." (Consult Byne, A., and Stapley, M., 'Rejeria of the Spanish Renaissance,' New York 1914, and 'Spanish Ironwork,' ib. 1915; also 'The Famous Ironwork of Spain' in the Architectural Record, Vol. XXXIX, ib. 1916). We shall again refer to this potent influence when we come to the third and uni versally significant period of Spanish painting.
Painters, Architects and Sculptors.— The attempt to trace clear national lines of devel opment in the Spanish arts has always been regarded — and not without reason — as an ex tremely difficult undertaking. Spanish art is indeed like a river whose current is swollen by many a stream from as many different lands. Nevertheless it has characteristics that are strikingly—often startlingly — individual and distinctive, and these are the characteristics to which we should devote special attention. The difficulty just referred to has been increased and intensified by the undue attention that writers have paid to the numerous foreign ar tists who have been residents in Spain and whose works still remain there: to those for eigners who, in Spain but not sympathetically of Spain, neglected or failed to express, in and through the works of art they created, the Iberianism of the country that sheltered them and employed their talents. It has seemed to
us necessary, therefore, to prepare a new list of Spanish painters, architects and sculptors, which should be based upon an independent principle of selection. We omit the names of all who do not seem to be more closely con nected with the Spanish arts than with those of any other country.
Here follows the list, designedly restrained within very narrow limits and presenting the names of painters, architects and sculptors in alphabetical order: Bayeu, F., painter, 1734-95, worked at Zaragoza, Madrid, Toledo, etc.; Becerra, G., sculptor, b. 1520 at Baeza, d. 1570 at Madrid, worked at Burgos, Astorga, Sala manca, etc.; Berruguete, A., son of the cotrrt painter Pedro, sculptor, architect and painter, c. 1480-1561, worked at Avila, Valladolid, Sala manca and Toledo; Cano, A., painter, sculptor, architect, 1601-67, worked principally at Gran ada and Seville; Churriguera, J. architect and sculptor, late 17th century to J., worked at Madrid and elsewhere, and was succeeded by his sons Geronimo and Nicolas; Espinosa, J. J. de, Valencian painter, 1600-80; Falco, N., Valencian painter, worked c. 1515-76; For ment, D., sculptor, worked at Huesca and Zara goza, c. 1511-33; Gallegos, F., painter, c. 1465 or 1475-1550, worked at Salamanca and Za mora; Goya, F. de, painter, 1746-1828, worked at Zaragoza, Valencia, Madrid and Bordeaux; Greco, El (see D.) ; Hernandez, G., sculptor, 1566-1636, worked at Valladolid and Plasencia; Herrera, F. (el Mozo), painter, 1622-85, worked at Seville and Madrid, and Herrera, F. (el Viejo), 1576-1656, painter, who also worked at Seville and Madrid; Herrera, J. de, 1530-97, architect of the Escorial; Leo cadio, P. de (San Leocadio), Valencian painter, 16th century; Mazo, J. B. del, Velasquez's son in-law and pupil, d. 1687; Mora, J. de, 1638 1725, sculptor; Murillo, B. E., painter, 1617-82, worked at Seville; Pacheco,. F., 1571-1654, painter, instructor and father-in-law of Velas quez, worked at Seville and Madrid; Pantoja de la Cruz, J., 1551-1610, court painter to Philip II; kibalta, F., c. 1551-1628, painter, worked at Valencia; Ribera, J. de (Lo Spagno letto), 1588-1656, painter, worked at Valencia and Naples; Rincon, A. del, c. 1446-1500, court painter to Ferdinand and Isabella; Roe las, J. de las, 1558-1625, painter, worked at Seville; Sanchez Coello, A., d. 1590, court painter to Charles V and Philip II; Sorolla y Bastida, painter, b. Valencia 1863, lives there and in Madrid; TheotocOpuli, D., pupil of Ti tian, painter, sculptor, architect, called El Greco because born in Crete at an uncertain date, worked at Toledo and died there at an ad vanced age in 1614; Valdes Leal, J., 1630-91, painter, worked at Seville; Vargas, L. de, 1502 68, painter, worked at Seville; Velasquez (or Velazquez)., Diego de Silva, 1599-1660, painter, studied first at Seville, afterward identified with the Spanish court and court-circle of Philip IV at Madrid and elsewhere; Viladomat, A., 1678 1755, painter, worked at Barcelona and Tarra gona; Zarcillo, F., 1707-48, sculptor, worked at Murcia; Zuloaga, I., painter, b. Eibar, 1870, lives chiefly at Segovia; Zurbaran, F., 1598 1662, painter, worked at Seville.