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Old Spain (1921)

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Old Spain (1921) jiiiilil iliililUiLliliiiL :xr ^^te~! Cr- ARCHITECTURE AND APPLIED ARTS IN OLD SPAIN OLD SPAIN By AUGUST L, MAyER, PH. D PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE REAL ACADEMIA DE BELLAS ARTES DE S. FERNANDO IN MADRID OF THE REAL ACADEMIA DE BUENAS LETRAS IN SEVILLA AND OF THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA IN NEW YORK WITH 3Jo ILLUSTRATIONS J • » 44602 NEW yORK / BRENTANO'S / MCMXXI c c c J c c c « e •' PRINTED By E. HABERLAND, LEIPZIG (GERMANY) R E F A C E The richntss of Spain in significant architectural monuments, in characterful and characteristic old townsites, as well as conspicuous products of the applied arts, is today still overwhelming in spite of the considerable vandalisms of the Napoleonic ^1 wars and in spite of the modernization craze of the nineteenth century. To make a choice that will illustrate the various types in every branch of the wide fields of applied arts and architecture is exceedingly difficult. On the one hand is the simply immea= surable plethora of materials, on the other the lack of good photographic e.xamples of important ,^ objects scarcely known outside of the narrowest professional circles. '" It is to be noted that the procuring of materials during these present troubled times was difficult. The Association of Friends of Art in Madrid <Sociedad de los Amigos del Arte) as well as the Institut d'Estudis Catalans in Barcelona deserve great thanks for their ener= getic activity in making important materials available, not only by instituting exhibitions, but also by the turning out of numerous photographs and model catalogues. C Of all this the editor has made most bountiful use, and is under the greatest obligations to these associations, as well as to the Director of the Repertorio Iconografico de Espafia, ^ Photographer Roig, formerly of Lacoste, Moreno, and the In= ^ Mas, ). stitution Hauser y Menet, and last but not least, to the collec= tors who have assisted him in a large measure through the loan, and often special reproduction, of photographic copies. MADRID, OCTOBER 27, 1920* AUGUST L. MAyER CONTENTS Preface Page V Moorish Art Page IX Plates 1-14 City Sites and Castles Page X Plates 15-32 Churches Page XI Plates 33-61 Buildings Page XII Plates 62-106 Furniture Page XIV Plates 107- 125 Wrought Iron Work Page XIV Plates 126-141 Precious Metals ! Page XVI Plates 162-164 Leather Page XVI Plates 155-158 Carpets Page XVI Plates 166-168 Stuffs Page XVI Plates 168-174 Ceramic Art Page XVII Plates 141-154 Ivory Page XVIII Plates 159-161 Glass Page XIX Plates 175-176 Bibliography Page XX List of Illustrations «;.: Page XXI Madrid, Don Jose Weissberger. Leather Work. XVII. century The special charm znipecufiarity ofofdSpa= rity to costly silversmith work, with its use of small uisfj art lies in the wedding of the western, decorative forms instead of great monumental ones, European or Christian art with the eastern, is very close. In this period there came also the Spanish Asiatic^^African or Moorish, and this is especially late and high Baroque <about 1650), which was called true of its architecture and applied art. the Churriguera style after its originator, Chur= This unique interpcnetration and amalgamation, this riguera of Salamanca. After these two styles, with wedding, in which, as a rule, the Moorish element their lu.xuriantly flourishing decorations, there soon proved the stronger, not only produced in the Gothic followed, as a reaction and in sharp characteristic period the so=called Mudcjar style*), but the in= cally Spanish contrast, styles which were simple fluence and effect of the Moorish style showed in the highest degree. In the second half of the itself far into those periods in which Spanish 16''' century came the estilo desornamentado, art had impressed a special national stamp upon that is, the severe ornamentless style of Herrera, European style. For instance, in the period of the and in the 18''' century, classicism. early Renaissance <first half of the l^"" century) Foreign artists have worked in Spain at all times there developed the Plateresque or silversmith and in all branches, but most of them have sub-- manner. It was so called because it strongly sug^ mitted themselves to the charm of the country and gested the applied art style and because the simila= adapted their style not only to the peculiar climatic conditions (particularly to the relation of light and *) Mudejar is derived from the Arabic "mudefalat" suB- shade), but indeed to the whole atmosphere which mitted, and the Mudejar style means the style of the politi- cally but spiritually unconquered Moor. they found there. This was the easier for men from VIII the northern countries, as certain elements which ceived a specially striking construction and deco= are today generally indicated as Gothic are met ration. again in Moorish art and belong to the essentials While we find here many inner and outer relations of the Spanish building and decorative arts, i. e., to the northern art, sudi relations are not lacking as freedom and breadth in place of regularity — a play regards the Italian, and especially the Upper Italian with the constructive. We find the demateriali= art. Such buildings as the Certosa of Pavia can also zation of everything useful into the transcendental be designated as Plateresque. The effect which pi.i-'i. u in the Alhambra as well as in the Baroque sacristy Venice produces by its situation on the water (the of Cartuja of Granada. The extraordinarily fan= self evidence of the manner in which oriental tastic conception of quantity meets us in the forest ideas could be taken up there) is shown throughout Pf- i-f of columns in the Mosque of Cordoba, as well as in all Spain because of the peculiar conditions of air Pf- -to the building of the Escorial, in the ornamentation of and light which produce an optical illusion quite the Alhambra halls, in the Plateresque churches impossible in other parts of Europe. This tendency and palace facades and in the buildings of the Chur= toward the flat style went so far that the single rigueresque style. Everywhere there is a rhyth^ ornamental element was finally formed in quite a mical sweep of space to which Charles Scheffler's flat manner and the final result was the fret=saw comment is appropiate when he says of northern laminated style of Alonso Cano and the School of Gothic that it "glitters like a million facettes". Santiago. The only difference is that, in the south, up to the The ^ror (decoration) had characteristically attain^ time of the Churrigueresque style, no unsteady ed its completion after the discovery of America, splendour of light and shade is to be found, but and during the setting in of the strong decline of the everything is rhythmically related. But of prime im= Spanish world=power. Perhaps the most favourable I portance is the fact that the wall, in contrast to walls place for the study of Spanish decoration is Sala= of the northern style, remains always recognizable manca, although Burgos, Toledo, Granada, Sevilla as a closed surface even though its material gra= and, last but not least, Zaragoza, offer plenty of im= vity is not accentuated,- the architect, on the con= portant material. In the decorative motives the trary, always doing his utmost to give it the lights Spanish strong sense of reality is revealed. What ness of a tent wall. The rich decoration has an ex= has not been used here ! The pilgrim's flask, the p/. oi ceedingly delicate appearance and is always set up cord of the monks' capoch, ship=cables, crowns, but on this background, while the plastic form has the above all, the coats-of=arms which have nowhere general effect of being pressed flat. Even the build= enjoyed greater triumph nor been so generally em= ings of the Churrigueresque style, which had been ployed as in Spain. developed to a degree before unknown, have, in spite Two things emphatically give Spanish decoration its of the severity of the facette work, something of the real life; light and colour. The geometrical brick tapestry^carpet effect possessed by the Moorish as ornamentation of the Mudejar, the blind arcades well as the Mudejar and Plateresque wall decorations. and tower decorations, the plateresque stringpieces This complete covering of the surfaces with pure of the stairway, and the repeated clear linear or- ornamental or figured plastic, or else with plastic naments of the flat style receive their real clearness consisting of these two elements, is exceedingly from the light plastic form. The heavy Baroque characteristic of Spanish art. It springs from the forms are relieved of their oppressiveness, not only Moorish art=principle, and was, till late in the Pla= indirectly through their flatness, but directly through teresque period, very popular for facades, chapel themanncrof their expression.And then the colours! walls and the construction of high altars. In the All Moorish constructions and the entire Moorish Churrigueresque period a large carpet was hung scheme of inner decoration are built up on the harmo= up, as it were, only on a certain part of the wall ny of blue, red and gold. (Of these, of course, only or facade. The richness of decoration concen= miserable remains can be recognized today.) To this P^-i9 trated itself upon the portal section,- the whole colourfulness, which was even more heightened by facade up to the gable was included and, in har= the variegated walUtilings, the artists of the Mu^ mony with the Retablo, or carved altar work, re= dcjar style and even those of the Plateresque held 4 IX .<;^ y; Barcelona, Museo.
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