Art and Culture
1. Andres de Vandelvira
Andrés de Vandelvira (1509–75) was the quintessential architect of the Spanish Renaissance in Andalucía. His work spanned the three major phases of the style’s predominance, from ornamental Plateresque, to Italianate Classical, to austere Herreran. He can be given virtually sole credit for the architectural treasures in the town of Úbeda and many important edifices in Baeza (for further details see Baeza and Úbeda).
2. Francisco de Zurbaran
The great painter (1598–1664) spent most of his life in and around Seville, where his art adorns churches and museums. His works are noted for their mystical qualities, dramatized by striking chiaroscuro (light and shade) effects – hallmarks, as well, of his contemporaries Caravaggio and José de Ribera.
3. Velazquez
Born in Seville, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599–1660) left for Madrid in 1623 to become court painter to the king. His was the most remarkable talent of the golden age of Spanish painting, taking naturalism and technique to new heights. The works that remain in his home town were mostly religious commissions, although his real genius lay in portraiture.
4. Alonso Cano
Most of the works by Cano (1601–67) can be seen in Granada, largely because after he was accused of killing his wife the city vowed to protect him if he would work exclusively for them. Sadly, such a predicament limited the opportunities for this gifted painter, sculptor and architect to fully blossom.
5. Bartolome Esteban Murillo
Murillo (1618–82) was the most successful of the Baroque painters from Seville. He received countless commissions to produce devotional works, notably the many Immaculate Conceptions seen in Andalucía.
6. Pedro Roldan
Roldán (1624–99) was one of the chief proponents of the Spanish aspiration to combine painting, sculpture and architecture into unified works of art, such as the altarpiece in Seville’s Hospital de la Caridad.
7. Leonardo de Figueroa
Figueroa (1650–1730) was a highly accomplished Baroque architect. His commissions in Seville included the Hospital de los Venerables, the Palacio de San Telmo and the Museo de Bellas Artes.
8. Manuel de Falla
Andalucían de Falla (1876–1946) was Spain’s finest classical composer. One of his major works, The Three-Cornered Hat, has its roots deep in flamenco.
9. Pablo Picasso
Picasso (1881–1973) was born in Málaga, although he settled in France in 1909. His native land, with images of the bullfight and later of the horrors of the Franco era, turned up in his work throughout his career.
10. Federico Garcia Lorca
The Granada-born writer (1898–1936) was also an artist, musician, theatre director and more. Homosexual and Socialist too, he was murdered by Franco’s Nationalists at the start of the Spanish Civil War. His work shows his love for Andalucían culture.
