El Greco to Velazquez
Starred Review. Published to accompany a major traveling exhibition, this work records a fertile and innovative period in Spanish art history. The court of Philip III (1578–1621) ushered in a time of elaborate celebrations and religious festivals, a major expansion in new building, and an unprecedented rage for art collecting in the Spanish court. Spain's art became more naturalistic and expressive; the royal portraits are masterpieces of detailed elegance, and the religious figures have reality and solidity new to the genre. By treating not only the best-known artists but also less-well-known contributors to the changing approach to painting, Baer (senior curator, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) and Schroth (senior curator, Nash Museum, Duke Univ.) offer a series of elegant and enlightening essays. This is far more than an exhibition catalog: it is an impressive exposition of a significant transition period in Spanish art and culture. With splendid illustrations (170 color plates), detailed biographies of the exhibited artists, and extensive notes, this is an important contribution and deserves a place in every art library, academic library, and large public collection.—Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New YorkCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.