The Spanish Golden Age

     The Spanish Golden Age, which lasted from about 1560 to 1680,  is a period of great importance in arts and literature in Spain.
     El Siglo de Oro does not imply precise dates and it lasted longer than an actual century. Some authors think that it began no earlier than 1492, with the end of the Reconquest and the sea voyages of Christopher Columbus to the New World. Politically, it ended no later than 1659, with the Treaty of Pyrenees between France and Habsburg Spain. The last great writer of the period, Pedro Calderon de la Barca, died in 1681, and his death is usually considered the end of El Siglo de Oro in the arts and literature.
     The spanish Golden Age coincided with the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty: the reigns of Charles I, Philip II, Philip III, Philip IV, and Charles II. The Habsburgs were great patrons of art.

ARCHITECTURE

 El Escorial, the great royal monastery built by King Philip II.

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The Cathedral of Seville, built in the Baroque style (very rich ornamentation)

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PAINTING

Diego Velazquez is one of the most influential painters of European history. He  cultivated a relationship with King Philip IV and his chief minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares, leaving us several portraits that demonstrate his style and skill.

Las Meninas (1656)

 

The Surrender of Breda

 

Philip IV in Brown and Silver

 

Equestrian Portrait of the Count-Duke Olivares

 

 

El Greco was another respected artist from the period. He helped create a uniquely Spanish style of painting.

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz

LITERATURE
Miguel de Cervantes wrote  Don Quixote de la Mancha.

 

 First edition (1605)

 

 Don Quixote de la Mancha and Sancho Panza

Lope de Vega is Spain's most prolific playwright: about 1,800 theatrical plays are attributed to him. He also wrote poetry.