Created by Swagata Kumar Basu, Asstt. Prof, Doon University

For SLS 105 Intro to Spanish History and Culture

Spain’s Siglo de Oro

What is Siglo de Oro?Political situation in Spain during the 16th

centuryRenaissance- General DescriptionRenaissance in Spain: Art, Architecture and

LiteraturePolitical Situation in Spain during the 17th

centuryBaroque- General DescriptionBaroque in Spain: Art, Architecture and

Literature

Content

Habsburg Dynasty’s Rule beginsCarlos V (1517 to 1556)Felipe II (1556 to 1598)Inquisition continues Spain fights several wars against France,

Muslims and ProtestantismInflation increases because of the riches

coming from the New World

Political Situation in the 16th century

It is the name given to the 16th and 17th century in Spain’s history as that was the most fecund and rich period in terms of artistic, cultural, arquitectural and literary production

This period is unmatched to any other period of Spanish history

The greatest Spanish painters, writers, dramatists all emerged and created their masterpieces during this period

All the classics: Cervantes, Velázquez, Greco, Lope de Vega, Calderon de la Barca are just a few of the long list we will see in this presentation

What is Siglo de Oro

The two major parts of Siglo de Oro

RenaissanceApprox. 16th centuryRise of Spanish

EmpireCelebrates Harmony,

Simplicity Optimistic, HopefulOpen and TransparentThe beginning of

change

BaroqueApprox. 17th centuryDecadence of Spanish

EmpireProjects ComplexityPessimistic,

DisappointedHidden and DarkA further refinement of

cultural change

Literature of the Golden Age

Renassaince in Spanish LiteratureDominated by appreciation of harmony and simplicity. Quite realistic in many cases. Religion plays an important role. Reflects the spirit of man capable of creating his own destiny.

General CharacteristicsFactors that influenced

the rise of literatureThe emergence of a

wealthy trading class , the burguesía, which was interested in leisure activities and were ready to spend money on entertainment such as reading, theatre, operas etc.

The newly developed technology that facilitated printing books

Themes: Love, Woman’s Beauty, Nature

Also Carpe Diem (Sieze the day), Eternity

Also in Spain- religious themes

Rise of novels

According to the classical Greek rules

Celestina , Fernando de Rojas, 1499, transition work between Middle Age and Renassaince

Introduced Italian poetic forms such as the Sonnet to Spain. He was a very heroic warrior and poet typical of his time, but

unthinkable in Middle Ages Observe below the typical structure of a Sonnet His poetry dealt with themes of Love, Beauty, Nature and Carpe Diem

Garcilaso de la Vega

While the Reform movement of Catholicism was one of the major factors behind Renaissance in Europe Spain was dominated by Counter-reform against it

However religious poetry in Spain did not reinforce the dogmatic orthodoxy of the catholic church

It brought God closer to his followers through the movement of Mysticism which believes God can be experienced in one’s own self if one is really a believer

It is similar to Bhakti movement of India or Sufi of IslamSanta Teresa de Jesus, San Juan de la CruzThere were other non Mystic but religious poets for eg.

Fray Luis de Leon who taught theology at the University of Salamanca and was even tried by the Inquisition

Mysticism and Religious Poetry

Santa Teresa de Jesus

San Juan de la Cruz

Novels (not in the modern sense though) were quite popular during this time like Pastoral Novels, Knight Errant Tales, Novela Morisca, Picaresque novels

Out of these the Picaresque novel emerged in Spain with the anonymous work La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes, about a poor little boy who is forced to serve several masters to earn his living through which he learns the tricks necessary to survive in a cruel world

It is a very realistic depiction of society of Spain in 16th century

Even in the 17th century major Spanish writers such as Quevedo and Mateo Aleman continued to write this type of novels

Novelas Renacentistas

Lazarillo by Goya (19th century painter)

Baroque LiteratureReflects Disappointment, Pessimism, Deception. Language uses Exaggeration, Complex Metaphors. Questions what is reality?

Spain lost its hegemony at the end of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)

Felipe III (1598-1621)Felipe IV (1621- 1665)Carlos II (1665-1700)The last two kings practically left the running of

the country in the hands of their favouritesSpain remained a feudal society The hidalgos considered themselves to be too

superior to workThis feudal mentality and the Inquisition did not

promote scientific and technological improvements

Political Situation in 17th century

Reaction to this among the intellectuals produced a lot of negative feelings such as disappointment, disillusion and pessimism

In culture it got translated into either escapism or criticism, satire, irony etc.

The themes “Nothing is real, everything is an illusion” and “Life is too short” become important

From simplicity and harmony artists move towards complexity and darkness

Reaction

QuevedoComplex at

conceptual level therefore his style is called Conceptismo

A bit difficult to understand because of the depth of his concepts

He was also a prose writer

Master of using the language in a complex but beautiful way, so his style is called Culteranismo

More difficult to understand

He was only a poet

Baroque poetry and prose Complexity

Góngora

Gongora, el hombre a una nariz pegada according to Quevedo

Lope de VegaThe most popular dramatist

of his time and probably ever in Spain

Created the New Rules of Comedy

Themes of Honour, Courage, Heroism, el Pueblo (common people)

Different languages spoken by characters according to their class

Major popular form of entertainment for the masses

Fuenteovejuna

Was a court dramatistHad more resources to

improve stage technique, better settings

Dealt with the same themes but in a more refined way

More philosophical Meant for the elites, not

popular form of entertainment

La vida es sueño

Baroque DramaCalderón de la Barca

Lope de VegaCalderon de la Barca

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra(Alcalá de Henares, 1547-Madrid, 1616)

Simply the greatest Spanish writer of all time

His masterpiece is Don Quijote de la Mancha

We look at him last because he was part of both Renassaince and Baroque

Also he wrote every form of literature : prose, poetry and drama.

Published in two parts in 1605 and 1616Considered to be one of the greatest works of

universal literature and the first modern novel

Deals with the conflict between Reality and Imagination or Realism vs Idealism

A satire of Novelas de Caballería’ Knight Errant Tales

Plot Summary follows

Don Quijote de la Mancha

Alonso Quijano, a poor and old hidalgo who lives in la Mancha is an obsessive reador of Knight Errant tales. One day he goes crazy…

And begins to believe himself to be a knight. He names himself Don Quijote de la Mancha and his horse Rocinante and sets out to travel and find adventures

He finds a squire, his friend and companion, Sancho Panza. A typical pot bellied short manchego. Don Quijote and Sancho Panza are each other’s opposite. Don Quijote is only concerned with the ideal world, the golden age of honour, bravery and justice. while Sancho represents the mundane reality of the common man.

The two set out to find adventures and several episodes take place. The most commonly cited is the episode of the windmills. Don Quijote spots several windmills and think them to be monsters with four hands.

Naturally as a brave knight he decides to fight with the monster ignoring Sancho´s warning that they are nothing but windmill

Naturally as a brave knight he decides to fight with the monster ignoring Sancho´s warning that they are nothing but windmill

He gets brutally hurt but even then he continues to believe that it was a magical trick of his enemy which converted the monster into a windmill at the last moment

Renaissance Architecture in SpainInspired by Roman Architecture, Beauty in Symmetry, Importance of Places of Learning

Monastery of El Escorial, Near Madrid, built under Felipe II

University of Alcala de Hernares, near Madrid

University of Salamanca, Salamanca

Baroque ArchitectureOver decoration, intricate designs, new and unique strutures to create mysterious light and shadow effects

Plaza Mayor de Salamanca

About El Transparente from Wikipedia One of the most outstanding features of the Cathedral is

the Baroque altarpiece called El Transparente. Its name refers to the unique illumination provided by a large skylight cut very high up into the thick wall across the ambulatory behind the high altar, and another hole cut into the back of the altarpiece itself to allow shafts of sunlight to strike the tabernacle. This lower hole also allows persons in the ambulatory to see through the altarpiece to the tabernacle, so that they are seeing though its transparency, so to speak. The work was commissioned by Diego de Astorga y Céspedes, Archbishop of Toledo, who wished to mark the presence of the Holy Sacrament with a glorious monument. El Transparente is several storeys high and is extraordinarily well-executed with fantastic figures done in stucco,painting, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble; it is a masterpiece of Baroque mixed media by Narciso Tomé and his four sons (two architects, one painter and one sculptor). The illumination is enhanced when the Mass is being said in the mornings and the sun shines from the east, shafts of sunlight from the appropriately oriented skylight striking the tabernacle through the hole in the back of the retable, giving the impression that the whole altar is rising to heaven.

Façade of the Santiago de Compstela Cathedral, this intricate overdecoration is known as the Churriguera style, named after the Churriguera family

Altarpiece designed by Jose de Churriguera (the main architect of the Churriguera family) for the Convent of San Esteban in Salamanca

Spanish Painters of the Golden AgeDifficult for us to distinguish between Renaissance and Baroque. Many styles emerged during this period. Religious themes dominate. Also common are portraits of royals and nobles. There are also some examples of day to day life being depicted in paintings by Velazquez and Murillo. The following are the most important ones, there were many others.

Renaissance PainterWorked for Felipe IIDid in most of his paintings what was

expected of painters at that time---Represent religious themes and messages

without any ambiguity to evoke devotion in people

Juan Fernández de Navarrete (1526- 1579)

St. Peter and St. Paul

Specialist of Martyrdom paintings

José de Ribera (1591 -1652)

Martyrdom of St. Bartolome

El Greco (1541-1614), painter of Mysticism

A self-portrait by El Greco

This is “Disrobing of Christ”

He faced problems with the Church and Court for his artistic expression which did not fit into the rule book of Spanish Inquisition.

Burial of Count of Orgaz, Greco’s Masterpiece

Toledo

Murillo (1618-1682)

Young beggar by Murillo, He painted several such paintings with profane themes

Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664)

Still Life

Paintings in the Monastery of Santa Maria deGuadalupe

Flagellation of St. Jerome by the angels

Diego de Velazquez (1599-1660), The Greatest of them all

An old woman frying eggs

Protraits of Felipe IV, young and old, He was his main patron, Velazquez was a court painter

Las Meninas, Velazquez’s Masterpiece

www.wikipaintings.org/en/artists-by-nation/spanish

www.spainisculture.com/

For History Refer: www.spainthenandnow.com/

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Thank you for watching and Good Luck with the Exams