BEAUTIFUL BAROQUE MASTERPIECE SHOWS OFF ITS ARTISTIC PECULIARITY IN PEDREGUER

In Pedreguer is the parish church of the Holy Cross (Iglesia de la Santa Cruz). It took me several months to get into this church, as I always went in at the wrong times. It is a popular church and not a tourist attraction, so you have to go when it is open for the congregation to enjoy their midday mass. I have found that Sunday at 11:30 am is the best time to get into this historic work of artistic architectural brilliance.

When I arrived, a well-dressed elderly lady took me by the hand and asked me about my interest in "her" church. I explained that I was an art historian and a teacher, whereupon she welcomed me and explained that "her" church was "very important".

I agreed and began my search for the artistic secret that makes this church so famous! 

Let's take a look...

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. (KarlaDarocas.com) (C) no part of this text or photos may be replicated)

LOVING SPANISH ART * JUST GOT EASIER

Finally, an annual State Museum Card provides unlimited access to fabulous art museums across the country.

Spain stands out for its impressive cultural heritage. Spanish art lovers can take a closer look at their favourite works and enjoy visiting the best museums again and again.

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas (KarlaDarocas.com)

HIGHLY DECORATIVE VALENCIAN GOTHIC ALTARS

ALTARPIECE OF THE SACRAMENTS by Gherardo Starnina
(Fine Arts Museum, Valencia)

The International Gothic aesthetic became a highly decorative and recognisable style that dominated Europe in the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. (KarlaDarocas.com)

THE ARCHITECTURAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF MEDIEVAL XÀBIA

In the past, settlers from many different cultures have inhabited and enjoyed this exclusive place. The name could very well come from the Arabic "Xibìa", meaning "abundant".

Xàbia or Jávea is a Valencian coastal town in the Marina Alta region (Alicante). It has always been a privileged and strategic place on the Mediterranean, attracting ancient Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Christians.

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. (KarlaDarocas.com)

VALENCIAN BAROQUE MASTERWORK BOASTS GREATEST FRESCO ART IN SPAIN

The parish church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir in Valencia houses one of the greatest wonders of fresco painting that Spain has to offer. This historic parish church is located in the city centre and thanks to an extensive restoration in 2016, this place of worship is now a tourist and cultural showcase known as "The Sistine Chapel of Valencia".

This designation is not entirely logical, since San Nicolás is a single-nave church with six sections, twelve side chapels with buttresses (two of which are occupied by side entrance doors) and a magnificent polygonal presbytery facing east. The Sistine Chapel, on the other hand, is only one "chapel" in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope (Vatican City).

In any case, one statement is true: San Nicolás is indeed one of the best examples of the juxtaposition of 15th century Valencian Gothic architecture and a spectacular 17th century Valencian Baroque masterpiece. Let's take a look...

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. (SpainLifestyle.com) (C) no part of this text or photos may be replicated)

THE PROFANE MYTHOLOGY OF VELAZQUEZ

Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) was one of the great geniuses of painting. He was a master of the Spanish Baroque style, heir to Tenebrism and an inspiration to the Impressionists.

The Sevillian created between 120 and 130 paintings, of which Las Meninas is the best known worldwide. The majority of his works are in the secular or profane Baroque style, with incredible portraits and mythological works.

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas for SpainLifestyle.com / (c)  KarlaDarocas.com 

GRAND SCALE CHURCH BRINGS CLASSICAL BEAUTY AND HISTORICAL LEGACY TO OLIVA

FRONT and BACK

Oliva is a pretty and lively town on the outskirts of the province of Valencia in the region of Safor, which has a very beautiful, stylish and colossal neoclassical church in its centre.

The parish church of Santa María la Mayor represents the historical, cultural and spiritual development of the Valencia region in its architecture. Let's take a look...

* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. (SpainLifestyle.com) (C)  (KarlaDarocas.com) no part of this text or photos may be replicated) 

GREAT NEWS * VALENCIA MUSEUM COLLECTION GROWS WITH MORE TREASURES

The collection of paintings, which has been considered a jewel of the Lladró family for years, will no longer be hidden from the eyes of the public!

I was delighted to hear that the descendants of the Lladró family, who have become famous and wealthy through their brand of luxury porcelain produced in their own factory in Tabernes Blanques since 1958, have donated their entire collection of paintings and artefacts to the city of Valencia.

In 1980, Juan Lladró began investing in art with his brothers José and Vicente. He did this on the advice of Alfonso Emilio Pérez Sánchez, the director of the Prado Museum between 1983 and 1991. His idea from the beginning was to make the artwork in the headquarters of the porcelain figurine company in Tavernes Blanques accessible to the public. And there it remained until the company was sold to an investment fund in 2017 and the art collection was moved to Madrid, where it is stored.

** Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. Fine Arts  (KarlaDarocas.com)

A ROMANTIC ETCHING OF JAVEA

I saw this etching of the fortress church of San Bartolomé on Facebook and no one was talking about it, so I grabbed it. At first, I thought it belonged to the Parisian artist Andre Lambert, who settled in Jávea around 1920 and made his paradise on the Costa Blanca a meeting place for international figures from the world of art and culture. His ashes have been part of the Portichol pine forests since his death in 1967 

I looked at his etchings again, but this one did not belong to him. So after a lot of research on Google, I do not know who it belongs to.

** Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas  (KarlaDarocas.com)

UPDATE * NOVEMBER 17, 2022

 GREETINGS ALL,

That's it for the autumn term of classes. I ended the season on a Neoclassical note. 

Now it's time to get caught up with the people who want to join my Historical Walks around Javea. I started these walks many years ago as outdoor teaching experiences and I still have people coming to me who want to understand their village and learn about its history. 

FACT * It makes a big difference when you know what you are looking at. I live for teaching people and giving them historical and artistic knowledge. Smile. 

From January 2023, I will be teaching again in my classroom the Romantic genre. 

I think I will drop the Zoom classes because I only had one paying Zoom customer and with only that one, it's hard to pay for the Zoom platform. I am sorry, but what can I do? So I will just teach in my classroom.

Romanticism is a very big chapter in Spanish history. It has a lot to do with Spain coming of age as a constitutional government and the second woman monarch, albeit short-lived. It also has a lot to do with Spain finding its way back into the world of art after Paris had taken over and dominated the artistic world. Spain wanted to return to the map of art, so to speak, and did so through Romanticism.

I begin with the Northern Romanticism, which was accompanied by great academic works of art in Madrid and Barcelona.

I have written a book about the most famous of these academic romantic paintings and the historical stories that inspired them. It's called PRIDE & PASSION AT THE PRADO, and it's a guide to the seven most famous historical romantic stories in Spain and the artists who immortalised them.

Take a Look 

Then I will look at the more personal, fun and friendly romantic easel paintings that were created in southern Spain. The largest collection is in Málaga at the Carmen Thyssen Museum, which only opened in 2011 

So for those studying with me next season, it's going to be a wild ride through the era of Spanish Romanticism, capped off with a great field trip to Málaga, so we can see this collection of incredible paintings up close.  

Take a Look

We will also spend a day at the Museum of Malaga, which is the fifth-largest museum in Spain. It is actually two museums in one. On the one hand, there is the Department of Archaeology on the second floor and the Department of Fine Arts on the first floor.

Take a Look

I will also tell you about the beginnings of Picasso's works so that we can also visit his museum in Málaga.

Take a Look 

*End*

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