Spanish Art

This course will examine the history of Spanish art from prehistoric times to the present day. You will study in detail the artworks of the great Spanish masters with the purpose of achieving an in-depth global understanding of the subject. Instruction will delve into art terminology and how to talk about art for purposes of definitions, characteristics common to a particular movement, individual and general styles, and how the work of art provokes and stimulates the individual.

Given the wide range of material, we will focus on artists and artistic movements that have had a significant impact throughout the history of Spanish art. Medieval Romanesque, Gothic and Islamic art, Renaissance and Baroque during the Spanish Golden Age, Modernism, Surrealism, Cubism and the latest tendencies will be studied in depth. Field-studies will be an important part of the course as the city offers important examples of the different movements and styles studied in class. Artistic movements and artists will be placed within their social and historical context, so that you will have a wider understanding of the themes studied, the artistic significance and the social message of the works. A comparison between Spanish and European art will be made in order to give you a more global view and therefore better contextualize works of art. The personalities and opinions of the most representative artists will be studied.