The San Carlos Museum rnN he San Carlos Museum in time as the school was founded, Mexico City contains one of painting and sculpture galleries were the most important collections built on the school's premises. of Western art from the 14th to According to Abelardo Carrillo y the 20th century, and is the largest of Gariel, the "Jacob of Rivera," later its kind in Latin America. known as Laban Pasturing His Sheep, The paintings in the museum as well as The Seven Virares —then carne mainly from the galleries of the ascribed to the school of Raphael and former Academia de San Carlos; now correctly attributed to Peter de additions have gradually been made Kempener— have formed part of the through acquisitions, direct museum's collection since its Ella. ME E Ea 1!, , E111. NE EIE II Mi ME El CE IV '1 AM m II El Za ME MI E SE E commissions of Spanish painters (such inception in 1785. 9 ill Illa 1111 ZWI MI ww a IIII Ef , u r u u IIIE E, 1111 ni EE E nE , WE MI WE 7 — _ _OLE " --4.—-S _W_Itill_ as Mariano Salvador de Maella), Another important collection is - 1 -. - 10 II donations and the use of a number of the group of Spanish paintings paintings expropriated from acquired by Porfirio Díaz' government Oval courtvard. Rear falude. Main favade. monasteries closed during the 19th in 1910. Paintings by the most century. The museum also holds some distinguished artists of the time, copies of works by the great masters including Sorolla, Chicharro and made by students at the academy. Benlliure, were selected for the The Academia de San Carlos, museum. These paintings were which dates from the late 18th exhibited in the Pabellón Español, century, was founded by order of built to commemorate the first Charles III as the Real Academia de centenary of our independence. San Carlos (1783). At almost the same The former Academia de San Carlos proved too small to house the already large and varied collection of paintings, much of which had to be Mannerism —the intellectualized Thanks for the Taking of La Goleta, a stored in a cellar for lack of space. disproportion and defiguration of monumental oil painting in which, in As a result, then-president Gustavo classical forms— is shown on a large keeping with the Baroque spirit, time Díaz Ordaz decided to provide a more scale in the Madonna and Child (1525) seems to have frozen in the three suitable site: the building known as by Jacopo Carucci, "El Pontormo." stages of the triumphant Marqués de the Palace of the Count of Buenavista. The religious story, together with Santa Cruz' life and the boundaries The museum, known as the San Carlos an elegant sensuality, places Lucas between earth and heaven seem to museum because of its origins, was Cranach's Adam and Eve in a different have disappeared. inaugurated on June 12, 1968. category of Mannerism. Cranach Once again, Spain, whose artists The paintings needed to be modified the female figure, making it were masters of the Baroque, displays arranged in chronological order, slimmer, with small breasts and an several of the main features of this which was done taking styles and elongated neck, and adding childish style: superficiality as well as schools into account. Many of the or Chinese-like features. Cranach ornamental and decorative excess, paintings' former attributions were further individualized his work by together with depth, gravity and carefully reviewed and in some cases placing his signature —a tiny serpent significance —in other words, natural changed, in accordance with the with bats' wings— on the trunk of the and poetic truths. Examples include opinion of curators from such Mary Magdalene and the Angels (ca. museums as El Prado in Madrid and 1660) by Ciro Ferri; Luca Giordano's other experts and scholars. Nowadays Astronomer of Antiquity, St. John the the collection, for which an inventory Evangelist and the Poisoned Goblet has duly been made, is exhibited in the and St. John the Evangelist Giving Me San Carlos Museum in all its splendor. Virgin Communion, both by Alonso A tour of the museum begins with Cano, a native of Grenada, superb oil the Spanish school, the oldest and best paintings probably painted for the represented. This first hall, showing altarpiece at the Church of St. Paula in Catalan and Valencian Gothic, boasts a Seville. Spanish portraits, regarded as superb display of oil paintings of both some of the finest examples of court regions — The Life of Saint Lazarus, by painting, reach their apogee in the an anonymous Catalan painter (14th splendid Philip II from Sánchez century), The Christ of Mercy, by an Coello's studio. Four superb paintings anonymous Valencian painter (15th by Francisco de Zurbarán are century) and other paintings displayed in a hall that visitors have surrounding the splendid 15th-century already dubbed the Zurbarán Room. Altarpiece of the Incarnation, by the The most outstanding of the four, The Catalan Pere Espallargués. Supper at Emaus, is a magnificent Pedro Berruguete's Adoration of painting that has often been lent for the Magi (15th century) is an example exhibitions by European and of the transition from Gothic to Francisco de Zurbarán, The Supper at Emaus, oil on canvas, 1639. American museums. Next to this Renaissance art. From this point mystical brilliance one observes onwards, the distinctive features of "tree of knowledge." His portrait of humble, everyday objects: fish, each school begin to display attractive Frederick of Saxony is equally kitchenware, meat and bread jostle modifications, such as those that can be impressive. Dominating this work are for space amid the shining copper seen in Madonna and Child and Saint features denoting a great personage: saucepans in Mateo Cerezo's two Anne with Donors by Jan Provost, sumptuous vestments, and the coats- still-lifes. master of the Flemish Renaissance. of-arms of the House of Saxony at the Among the milestones of Spanish Almost Mannerist in style is the top of the painting. painting, two of Francisco de Goya y work of the Extrernaduran Luis de Next in this attractive sequence of Lucientes' works contribute to this Morales, known as "The Divine," styles come the dazzling Baroque museum's international standing: the whose spiritual sense, reduction of paintings, with their Italian and portrait of La Marquesa de San images and elongation of figures can be Spanish exponents almost equally Andrés and the delightful Water seen in The Madonna and Child represented. Leading the way into Carrier reveal the artist's predilection Writing in a Book. The same subject, these halls is the Belgian Hendrick van for capturing typical Spanish figures. but more in keeping with the tenets of Balen's Don Alvaro de Bazán Giving The portrait artists represented here Lucas Cranach, Adam and Eve, oil on wood, ca. 1530. Luis de Morales, The Madonna and Child Writing in a Book. Juan Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), St. John the Baptist As a Child, oil on canvas. Marcellius Koffermans, The Crucifixion. Francisco de Goya Lucientes, Water Carrier, oil on canvas, ca. 1810. Valencian architect Manuel Tolsá, in a style influenced by Neo-Classicism. This provided the artist with a sober setting contrasting with the exceptionally "monumental" design of the central oval courtyard. The architect and sculptor from Enguera, Valencia, trained in the Baroque, did not totally abandon this style. Characteristic of this unforgotten sentiment are the decorations of the building's main facade, which display features of Classicism: curved and triangular gables, balustrades and other adornments used with great freedom and movement, with particular emphasis given to hollowing out the facade so as to complement the oval courtyard. This beautiful construction —with 11 the formal and architectural virtues of an edifice built for the nobility or Mateo Cerezo, Still-life with Fishes. moneyed classes— has a long history. It belonged to several families, among also include a selection of painters art. Pelegrín Clavé's best work them the Counts of Pérez Galvés and from various countries; Franz Hals, includes his mid-19th-century portraits Regla. In the mid-19th century, its "Tintoretto"; Peter Paul Rubens; of the Mexican upper classes. owners were members of the political Thomas Lawrence and John Opie. Particularly noteworthy is his canvas aristocracy, including General Antonio Three essential stages of French The Early Years of Queen Isabella at López de Santa Anna. Later the painting are embodied in Jean the Side of Her Sick Mother, based on Emperor Maximilian gave it to Marshal Honoré Fragonard's courtly-style important historical events. Aquiles Bazaine as a wedding present. paintings, the dramatic symbolism in A walk through the museum's Other distinguished residents Pierre Puvis de Chavannes' Allegoly permanent collection leads one past contributed to the splendor of the of Grief and Jean Auguste Dominique works of unabashed romanticism, building with its then spacious gardens. Ingres' paradigmatic Classicism, combined with demonstrations of The 20th century saw the arrival visible in the beautiful, melancholy verisimilitude and technique, such as of occupants seemingly at odds with St. John the Baptist. Ladislas de Czachorski's Confidants. the building's original purpose: the 19th-century works include Further on the visitor reaches other, Tabacalera Mexicana tobacco European landscape paintings such as less refined works by a group of company, the National Lottery, Eugenio Landesio's View of Rome 20th-century Spanish painters: Express International's offices and, from Villa Freborn Along the Via Benedito and Vives, Benlliure and from 1958 to 1965, UNAM's National Cassia as well as quintessentially Gil, Chicharro and Sorolla, with their Preparatory School No. 4. It was not Mexican scenes captured by the same idealized versions of humble tasks, until 1968 that the palace recovered its Italian painter, such as The Valley of embodied in the study of women splendor and was inaugurated as the Mexico from the Cerro de Tenayo.