The Spanish

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

style of the 18th century is relatively unexplored and bears little resemblance to its French equivalent. Under the reign of

Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September ...

of the Bourbon Dynasty, architectural commissions were primarily awarded to Italian architects, rather than the French who were the pioneers of the rococo style. This is largely due to the influence of his second wife,

Elisabeth Farnese Elisabeth Farnese ( Italian: ''Elisabetta Farnese'', Spanish: ''Isabel Farnesio''; 25 October 169211 July 1766) was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V. She exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy and was the '' de facto'' ...

of Parma, who aimed to transcend French influence through the promotion of the Italians. Consequently, Rococo was left to be discovered by the Spanish school and therefore evolved separately from French and other variations of Rococo. Rococo, also referred to as Late Baroque, originated in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

in the 1730s as a continuation of the Baroque style. It is a highly dramatic and ornamental style of

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

and

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

characterized by its lavish curves and counter-curves, white and pastel colors, asymmetry, and elements that represent nature. Elements such as acanthus leaves, shells, flowers, birds, angels, fruit, musical instruments, and even

chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French ''chinoiserie'', from ''chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, literatu ...

(Chinese and Japanese motifs), were all common Rococo motifs. Rococo in Spain never culminated to be its own distinct style, as such the rococo style was not greatly present in 18th-century Spain. It was essentially a decorative progression of the Spanish Baroque used in conjunction with other elements of Spanish origin. Though there are a few examples, primarily in the court of the newly established Bourbon Dynasty.

Architecture

Spanish Rococo architecture was applied to exteriors as well as interiors and was preferred for use in churches, which is in direct contrast with French Rococo which was primarily used in the secular domains and was typically reserved for interior decoration. Additionally, the chinoiserie element is decidedly uncommon in Spanish Rococo.

Altarpieces An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

, commonly called

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ...

, were also a popular element of Rococo in Spain. Some of the most magnificent examples of Spanish Rococo can be found in the court of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...

. Including the

Royal Palace of Madrid The Royal Palace of Madrid ( es, Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the ...

, commissioned in 1738 by Philip V. Within the palace are the Salón de Gasparini, Salón de Porcelana, and Salón del Trono halls. Inside which further examples of Spanish Rococo such as the royal throne, twelve monumental mirrors, and many examples of rococo furniture. Other examples include the

Royal Palace of Aranjuez The Royal Palace of Aranjuez ( es, Palacio Real de Aranjuez) is one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family. It is located in the town of Aranjuez (Madrid), Spain. Established in the 16th century as a royal hunting lodge, the pala ...

, the Basílica pontificia de San Miguel, the

Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas The Palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas ( es, Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas, ca-valencia, Palau del Marqués de Dosaigües) is a Rococo nobility palace, historically important in the city. It is located in one of the most central locations in ...

Salamanca Cathedral The New Cathedral ( es, Catedral Nueva) is, together with the Old Cathedral, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Spain. It was constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries in two styles: late Gothic and Baroque. Building began in 1513 a ...

, and the west front of the

Murcia Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia (Spanish: ''Iglesia Catedral de Santa María en Murcia''), commonly called the Cathedral of Murcia, is a Catholic church in the city of Murcia, Spain. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Dio ...

. File:Palau del Marqués de Dosaigües (València) - 3.jpg,

in Valencia File:Palmaroli Rincon del Salón Gasparini.jpg, Salón de Gasparini hall in the

File:12 Aranjuez (41).JPG, Gabinete de Porcelana hall in the

File:San Ildefonso - Real Colegiata de la Santísima Trinidad 8.JPG, Real Colegiata de La Granja de San Idelfonso in

San Ildefonso San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama moun ...

File:Iglesia de la Purificación, La Iglesuela del Cid. Capilla de los Dolores.jpg, Chapel de los Dolores of the Iglesia de la Purificación church in

La Iglesuela del Cid La Iglesuela del Cid is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Inst ...

File:Cartuja de Aula Die-Zaragoza - P7254866.jpg, The portal of the

Charterhouse of Aula Dei The Charterhouse of Aula Dei ( es, Cartuja de Aula Dei) is a Carthusian monastery, or charterhouse, located about 10 kilometers north of the city of Zaragoza in Aragon, north-eastern Spain. It was declared a national monument on 16 February 198 16th ...

Painting

18th-century Spanish painters include;

Francisco de Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and en ...

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of the ...

Luis Egidio Meléndez Luis Egidio Meléndez (1716–1780) was a Spanish painter. Though he received little acclaim during his lifetime and died in poverty, Meléndez is recognized as the greatest Spanish still-life painter of the 18th century. His mastery of compos ...

, Luis Paret y Alcázar,

Antonio Carnicero Antonio Carnicero (1748–1814) was a Spanish painter of the Neoclassical style. In addition to his paintings, over the course of his career he also produced prints and engravings as well as creating theatrical decorations. Family and training ...

, Joaquín Bernardo Rubert,

Antonio Palomino Acislo Antonio Palomino de Castro y Velasco (165513 April 1726) was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period, and a writer on art, author of ''El Museo pictórico y escala óptica'', which contains a large amount of important biographical mat ...

, Mariano Salvador Maella, María Juana Hurtado de Mendoza, Vicente Calderón de la Barca, Francesc Tramulles i Roig, José Antonio Zapata,

Francesc Pla i Duran Francesc () is a masculine given name of Catalan origin. It is a cognate of Francis, Francesco, Francisco, François, and Franz. People with the name include: * Cesc Fàbregas (Francesc Fàbregas i Soler) (born 1987), Spanish professional football ...

, Lorenzo Quiros, Françoise Duparc, and more. File:El Quitasol (Goya).jpg, ''El Quitasol'' by

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and e ...

File:El entierro de la sardina, Francisco de Goya.jpg, ''The Entierro de la Sardina'' (a fiesta), by

File:Carlos III comiendo ante su corte.jpg, ''Charles III dining in presence of his Court'' by Luis Paret y Alcázar File:Antoni Viladomat - Spring - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Spring'' by

Antoni Viladomat Antoni Viladomat i Manalt (20 March 1678, Barcelona - 22 January 1755, Barcelona) was a Catalan painter in the Baroque style. Biography His father was a gilder. He appears to have taken his first formal art lessons in the workshop of Pasqual ...

File:Ramón Bayeu y Subías - El majo de la guitarra.jpg, ''El Majo de la guitarra'' by

Ramón Bayeu Ramón Bayeu y Subías (2 December 1744, Zaragoza – 1 March 1793, Aranjuez) was a Spanish Neoclassicist painter; known primarily for his work in tapestry design. Biography His father made surgical instruments and barbers' tools. He was th ...

. Currently in Museo del Prado File:Bodegón con trozo de salmón, un limón y tres vasijas Luis Egidio Meléndez.jpg, ''Bodegón con trozo de salmón, un limón y tres vasijas'' by

File:Diego Velázquez 006.jpg, ''Christopher Columbus offering treasures of the Indies to the Catholic Monarchs'' by Antonio González Velázquez File:Luis Paret Y Alcazár - Elegant Company Preparing for a Masked Ball - WGA17019.jpg, ''Elegant Company Preparing for a Masked Ball'' by Luis Paret y Alcázar File:Las parejas reales 1770 Luis Paret y Alcázar.jpg, ''Las parejas reales'' (an equestrian fiesta held in Aranjuez) by Luis Paret y Alcázar in 1770. Currently in Museo del Prado.

Bibliography

* Neuman, Robert. 2013. Baroque and Rococo art and architecture. Pearson Education. * Tadgell, Christopher. 2013. Transformations: Baroque and Rococo in the age of absolutism and the Church Triumphant (Vol. 6). Routledge. * Taylor, R. C. 1952. Rococo in Spain: A Neglected Aspect of 18th Century Art. The Architectural Review (London), 442(667), 9. * Rococo in Spain. HISOUR. (n.d.).Rococo in Spain. HISOUR. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hisour.com/rococo-in-spain-34196/

References

{{Architecture of Spain

Architecture

Painting

See also

Bibliography

References