From Al-Andalus to the Golden Age:

Spanish Art and Architecture

Tuesdays, 25 September – 4 December 2018 Seminar Room 4 (Half Term: 23 October) 10.30-13.00 Course Director: Jacqueline Cockburn, Managing Director of Art and Culture Andalucía

After General Tariq landed in the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and conquered it in the name of the Umayyad Caliph in Damascus, it became known as Al Andalus. This course will explore the rich and varied culture which flowered over eight hundred years and left extraordinary examples of Islamic art and architecture especially in Cordoba, , Toledo and . This remarkable historical period continued with the gradual Reconquest of ending in 1492, which gave rise to another wave of a diverse visual culture, culminating in The Golden Age of Spain. With the excellent Islamic and Medieval collection in the V&A at our disposal we will be able to look at material culture including textiles and ivories made during the period. Artists such as and Velazquez will be discussed and their contribution to the wider European considered. We will also be given personal insights into the Ribera exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery from the curator and an introduction to the new and exciting Spanish Gallery at Bishop Auckland.

Week 1: 25 September

10.30 Introduction; Islamic Spain; Architecture and History 12.00 Cordoba Mosque; tradition and innovation

The course will begin with a brief overview of in Spain. The medieval kingdom of al-Andalus, on the Iberian Peninsula, lasted from 711AD to 1492AD. However much of its material culture was destroyed or appropriated during the centuries of the re-conquest. Architecture left the most visible trace of the landscape this period, and its origins and developments provide a useful framework in which to explore this unique culture, the only occurrence of Islamic rule in western Europe. This first lecture traces the history and the architectural developments that accompanied it, as Islam, Christianity and Judaism lived cheek-by-jowl over nearly eight hundred years.

The second lecture of the first week will consider the building of Cordoba Mosque begun by Abd al-Rahman I in 785. It will examine the various extensions and will pay particular attention to al-Hakam II’s exquisite extension. The phases of building Cordoba Mosque will be analysed, with references to the broader culture which the Umayyads brought with them. The Mosque became the emblem of this fertile period in Spanish History. Week 2: 2 October

10.30 The Good life in Caliphal Cordoba (Tom Nickson) 12.00 Luxury Arts of Caliphal Cordoba Visit to V&A Collection (Tom Nickson)

The first lecture explores the spectacular , villas and gardens of Umayyad Córdoba as the setting for lavish displays of caliphal power, for poetic gatherings, and for dazzling artistic effects. The great palatine city of Madinat al-Zahra’ outside Córdoba was the location of royal ivory and textile workshops and we consider how these objects can be understood in their original architectural and ceremonial contexts. Try watching one of the numerous online virtual visits

In the visit we look closely at the V&A’s wonderful collection of Andalusi ivory caskets, many of them produced at Madinat al- Zarha’ for the caliph and his entourage. How were they carved? What is the significance of their inscriptions and decoration? And do they represent more than ‘luxury gift wrap’ for the precious perfumes they contained?

Week 3: 9 October

10.30 Islamic Silk Textiles from Al-Andalus (Ian Cockburn) 12.00 Islamic Luxury Goods in a Christian World (Ian Cockburn)

In medieval al-Andalus, significant production of silk, and an Islamic economic and cultural focus on textiles, led to the creation of a highly advanced silk textile industry, whose products were admired, desired and traded throughout the Mediterranean area until well into the fifteenth century. The first lecture will look at a number of textiles, some of which can be seen in the V&A’s collection, focussing on the techniques involved, the developments and meanings of the iconographic designs and the surprising variety of contexts in which they were used.

The material culture of al-Andalus was particularly renowned for the richness of its silk textiles and the exquisite refinement of its carved ivory caskets and pyxides. Decorated with distinctly Islamic designs and inscriptions, they were secular objects given as courtly and ambassadorial gifts. However, they were also highly valued by the nobility of the northern Christian kingdoms and many were appropriated for use in Christian religious contexts, a paradox that will be explored in the second lecture.

Week 4: 16 October

10.30 The Speaking (Tom Nickson) 12.00 The Alhambra between North and South (Tom Nickson)

The extensive and elegant poetic inscriptions of the Nasrid of the Alhambra in Granada allow it to speak to us across time. We explore the political, religious and artistic significance of these inscriptions in relation to the Alhambra’s complex architectural and ornamental design.

In the second lecture, the focus will be on the remarkable painted domes in the Alhambra’s so-called ‘Hall of the Kings’. These chivalric scenes of courtship, hunting and combat are almost without parallel in the Islamic world, and betray the extensive exchange of ideas between Nasrid Granada and Christian Spain in the fourteenth century.

Half Term: 23 October

Week 5: 30 October

10.30 Cultural Fusions; Dispelling and preserving Islamic Spain 12.00 Ribera, the art of violence. An exhibition at The Dulwich Picture Gallery (Xavier Bray)

The first lecture will examine how during the ‘’ of Spain, which began long before 1492, Christians continued to build in a Moorish style, often referred to as mudéjar. The lecture begins in Toledo in 1085 showing buildings which fuse Muslim, Christian and Jewish building styles, and will chart the gradual reconquest of the peninsula. It will examine how the Christians reconquered the territory controlled by the Muslims, largely destroying 800 years of cultural heritage, yet at the same time selectively preserving and admiring the Islamic culture.

In the second lecture Xavier Bray will consider the recently opened show of Ribera at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. He will explore the difficulties and joys of curating the exhibition.

Week 6: 6 November

10.30 The arts in Spain under the Catholic Monarchs (Gail Turner) 12.00 Philip 2nd and The Monastery Palace of Escorial (Gail Turner)

In the first session, we will look at the historical and cultural background of the reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella, with its rich Isabelline architecture, and the queen's personal interest in collecting from different European artists. The Catholic Monarchs (Los Reyes Católicos) had ambitious plans for their children's marriages and succeeded in joining their families to those of the Habsburgs, Burgundy, England and . These links in turn had an influence on the culture of their reign.

Ferdinand and Isabella's grandson, Charles I of Spain, better known as Charles V, spent little with his commitments to the and its challenges. was one of his favourite artists, and when he abdicated and retired to the he took with him various works by the great Italian. The Royal Chapel in Granada was completed during his reign. Philip II continued to commission works by artists - mainly Italians - who had worked for his father, but his greatest legacy was the monastery-palace-royal mausoleum of (1562-1582). He was an exacting patron, who was very involved with the project which was known as 'the dearest lady of his heart'.

Week 7: 13 November

10.30 El Greco in Toledo 12.00 Spanish in the Golden age

This lecture will consider El Greco’s arrival in Toledo from Italy and Crete his country of birth. It will show how he fell out with royalty and the church often flouting the rules in quite dramatic ways. It will consider his writings and his personal life and discuss why he is one of the most revered artists today yet went unknown for 300 years after his death.

Early Spanish Still Lifes by artists such as Sanchez Cotán, Antonio de Pereda, Zurbaran will be shown in order to discuss the many ways Still Life painting can give insights into the world and society in which the artists lived during the Golden Age. Particular attention will be paid to objects which can go unnoticed such as a fly on a grape or a fish bone strewn across the table. Week 8: 20 November

10.30 Co-existence and Conflict: Architecture in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Spain (Costanza Beltrami) 12.00 Collecting in Britain (Costanza Beltrami)

The first original treatise on written outside Italy was published in Spain in 1526. Nevertheless, the mudéjar and Gothic building traditions continued to influence construction throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The coexistence of Medieval and Renaissance styles was described as a violent contrast by contemporary patrons and modern scholars alike. On the contrary, this lecture will discuss how novelty and tradition produced a flexible architectural system, which offered the basis for the imperial architecture of .

In 1756 Richard Trevor, Prince-Bishop of Durham, bought an impressive series of religious paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán as a statement for inter-religious tolerance. Among the first large-scale acquisitions of Spanish art in Britain, Trevor’s purchase will be the starting point for a discussion of the reception and collecting of Iberian art in this country. Leading from the Bishop’s Long Dining Room to William Bankes' ‘Spanish Room’ at Kingston Lacey and beyond, our exploration will conclude with a contemporary project: the creation of a gallery dedicated to Spanish art just outside the palace where Trevor once lived.

Week 9: 27 November

10.30 Zurbaran Ribera and Murillo; the spiritual and the theatrical 12.00 Religion made real; polychrome sculpture

In the first lecture we will explore visionary experience during the Counter- Reformation in order to consider how they made the invisible, visible and how paintings which were to inspire piety were paradoxical in their nature.

In the second lecture we will explore polychrome sculptures; their possible meanings, how they were made and their continuing relevance today.

Week 10: 4 December

10.30 Velazquez in the Kitchen in Seville 12.00 Velazquez at Court in

Painting in Seville in 1618 Velazquez shows his growing brilliance through kitchen scenes and Still Lives called ‘bodegones’ which give us insights into the way people lived at the time. Influenced by the requirements of his patron Pacheco he acquires a following which will help him make his move to court in Madrid.

When Velázquez moved to Madrid his life changes and so does his art. This lecture will consider his time at court, his subjects and his development as a great artist. It will end with a discussion of his work . This painting with its extraordinary use of perspective will be unravelled in terms of the artist’s own life and wishes and his relationship with the Monarchy at the time.

All lectures given by Jacqueline Cockburn, unless otherwise stated.

This programme is subject to change. Speaker biographies

Jacqueline Cockburn is Managing Director of Art and Culture Andalucía (www.artandcultureandalucia.com) She runs residential courses in Andalucía, Southern Spain in the art and culture of the region. Jacqueline also works in London as a free-lance lecturer. She lectures at the V and A, Christies Education, The Art Fund, The London Society and Art Pursuits Abroad as well as several other prestigious institutions and is accredited by The Arts Society working all over the world for them delivering lectures on a variety of art historical topics. Her specialist field is Spanish Art but she also lectures on European Art 1790-1950. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has published an anthology of translations of Spanish songs. Her Art History degree and PhD were taken at London University. Her doctoral thesis was on Federico García Lorca’s drawings as gifts, citations and exchanges.

Tom Nickson read Art History at Cambridge. He moved to The Courtauld for his MA (2005), and in 2009 received his PhD from The Courtauld. He was lecturer in medieval art and architecture at the University of York from 2009, and then returned to The Courtauld in 2012. He is Vice-chair of ARTES, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of Iberian and Latin American visual culture. Tom’s recent work interrogates the connections between art and belief in medieval Iberia, particularly as a consequence of encounters between Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. Multilingual inscriptions have been a topic of particular interest. Tom’s book, : Building Histories in Medieval Castile was published by Penn State University Press in December 2015. This work provides a new ’s primatial cathedral, analysing its architecture, urban setting, decoration and liturgy as a way of addressing issues of wider significance for the Iberian Peninsula.

Gail Turner read History at Oxford, and has an MA from the Courtauld Institute. She lectures widely to the V&A, The Arts Society, the Art Fund, Art Pursuits and other arts organisations. She has given summer courses at the Courtauld Institute and Cambridge University and taken tours to different parts of Spain for NADFAS, Art Pursuits and Martin Randall Travel. She is also a painter and print maker. She is passionate about Spain, and in 2015 she was awarded the Encomienda de Isabel la Católica by the King of Spain for promoting Spanish culture and history among British audiences.

Ian Cockburn is a specialist in medieval Spanish art history, with a focus on the material culture of the Iberian Peninsula during the period of Islamic occupation, from the initial invasion in 711AD to the completion of the ‘Reconquest’ in 1492AD. He took a BA in at Birkbeck College, University of London in 2012, and an MA in Medieval Spanish Art History at the Courtauld Institute in 2017. He is also a co-founder and director of Art & Culture Andalucía. Costanza Beltrami earned her MA in medieval art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, where she is working towards her PhD. Her research focuses on collaboration in Spanish at the end of the fifteenth century. She is the author of Building a Crossing Tower: a design for Rouen Cathedral of 1516, on a stunning architectural drawing from late-gothic northern France. She was most recently assistant curator at the Spanish Gallery and Research Centre in Bishop Auckland Castle.

Xavier Bray is an art historian specialising in Spanish art and sculpture and Director of the Wallace Collection, London. Formerly Chief Curator of Dulwich Picture Gallery and Assistant Curator of 17th and 18th-century European paintings at the National Gallery. His exhibitions include Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship and Goya: The Portraits. He is now working on an exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery on Ribera’s paintings. He completed his PhD at Trinity College, Dublin. From al-Andalus to the Golden Age of

Spanish Art

st rd Optional Extra Field Trip – Thursday 31 January to Sunday 3 February, 2019

Madrid & Toledo Cultural Tour

Madrid historic centre

Having enjoyed the Autumn course at the V&A, this is a wonderful opportunity to see examples of the related art and architecture ‘in the flesh’, with a guided tour to Madrid and medieval Toledo, on and off the beaten track. Tutors from Art & Culture Andalucía will provide guidance full of knowledge and enthusiasm. You need make no more decisions than you want to – we know just where to eat and how best to travel around.

The cultural centre of Madrid is famous for its exceptional range of first-class museums, as well as for its vibrant restaurants and bars. Medieval Toledo on the other hand, gives you a strong sense of stepping back to a time when Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side-by-side and produced hybrid architectural styles that are unique to Spain.

Join us for an uplifting weekend early in the new year.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” . st Thursday 31 January

Hotel Las Cortes. Meet in the lobby at 15.30. Afternoon 16.00-19.00 - The Prado Museum

This afternoon we explore the Spanish collections in the Prado starting with El Greco and ending with Goya. We will look at some wonderful Zurbarán painting, including spectacular Still Lifes. We will spend time with Velázquez and marvel at his technique while hearing the story of his most famous painting, Las Meninas. After a tea break we will finish with the Prado’s Goya collection, the most comprehensive in the world.

El Greco. The Fable 1580. Prado Museum

Evening 19.00-20.00

Visit by taxi to the Royal Chapel of St Anthony of La Florida. Goya’s burial place and where he executed breathtakingly beautiful frescoes, this little-known gem of a Neoclassical church was built at the end of the eighteenth century and declared a national monument in 1905.

We will then eat at Casa Mingo which is close by. Opened in 1888, as you walk in you immediately feel you have stepped back in time. Noisy and filled with locals, it is a fun place to go on the first night

st Friday 1 February

Meet in the lobby at 08.15 for Excursion to Toledo. 08.50 – 09.23 Train to Toledo

We will start our exploration of medieval Toledo at the former mosque of Bab al-Mardum, an outstanding example of Mudejar architecture. We will then visit the church of San Roman, with its remarkable Apocalyptic frescoes, and now the home of the city’s Visigothic museum. Next will be Santa Maria la Blanca, one of only two surviving medieval Spanish synagogues. We then go to the fourteenth century church of San Tome, to enjoy the view from its Mudejar tower, and to see one of El Greco’s finest paintings.

13.30-15.00 Lunch in Toledo

15.30-17.30 After lunch we will spend some time in Toledo’s spectacular thirteenth- century Cathedral, considered by many to be the magnus opus of the Gothic style in Spain, though the cloisters do contain some Mudejar characteristics. In the Sacristy we will see the impressive collection of fifteen paintings by El Greco.

18.25 – 18.58 Train to Madrid.

Evening free time.

nd Saturday 2 February

Meet in the lobby at 09.30. 10.00-12.00 Guided Visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid

This is one of the world’s great archaeological museums, founded in 1867 by Royal Decree of Queen Isabel II. We will focus on the medieval section, examining selected items in some detail and broadening our understanding of the medieval period, when ‘Spain’ was divided into the Moorish and Christian kingdoms.

Afternoon 13.00-14.30 Guided visit to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando

Established by Royal decree in 1744, the academy is housed in a neoclassical palace commissioned for the purpose by King Charles III. The fine collection of paintings includes magnificent works by El Greco, Velazquez, Murillo, Ribera, and Zurbaran. There is also an entire room devoted to Goya, one of the academy's former directors.

Francisco de Zurbaran. Agnus Dei. 1639. Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando Madrid.

15.00 Lunch at the Círculo de Bellas Artes.

The Círculo de Bellas Artes, founded in 1888, is the hub of the Arts Scene in Madrid. It occupies a superb building designed by Antonio Palacios in 1926, declared a national artistic monument in 1981. With concerts, lectures, exhibitions and films, it has it all; and Picasso took classes there. The café, with chandeliers, impressive ceilings and statues, was inaugurated in 1926 and is called La Pecera.

Evening Free time. rd Sunday 3 February

Meet at The Convent of Las Descalzas Reales at 10.00

Founded by Joanna of Austria in 1559, for young widowed or spinster noblewomen, this convent is located in the former palace of her parents, the Emperor Charles V and Empress Isabel of Portugal. The convent quickly became one of the richest in all of Europe, and while the immense treasures were not visible for four centuries, the Pope granted a special dispensation to open the convent as a museum in 1960 – a dispensation we will enjoy today!

Afternoon 12.30-14.30 Guided visit to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection

With nearly 1,000 works on display, the collection offers an extraordinary overview of art from the 13th Century to the twentieth century. We will be focussing on the works in the collection.

After the tour we will meet in the restaurant Nubel at 14.30 for a farewell lunch before your flight home.

Tutors

Dr. Jacqueline Cockburn is Managing Director of Art & Culture Travel. She was formerly Head of the Department of Art History at Westminster School, Chief Examiner in Art History at Cambridge International Examinations, and an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London. Ian Cockburn is a director of Art & Culture Travel and has an MA from the Courtauld Institute in medieval Spanish art history.

Fees (minimum 10 people/maximum 20 people): £1,360 per person.

The fee covers three nights’ double accommodation at the 4-star Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes, including breakfast. All teaching and guiding by specialist tutors over four days. All museum and other entry fees. Return train journey to Toledo.

Hotel Catalonia Las Cortes. Del Prado, 6, Madrid historic centre. A former 18th century palace, now modernised, this four-star hotel is very near the Prado and other key museums. It is located in a picturesque and quiet street near Plaza Santa Ana, with plenty of nearby restaurants and bars. The hotel is smart but not luxurious, with friendly staff, and a very fine breakfast.

Not included in the fees: Flights, transfers from and to the airport in Madrid, travel and medical insurance, lunches and evening meals, taxis. Single room supplement: £140.

Contact: Jacqueline Cockburn at Art & Culture Andalucía

07947 462130 or write to [email protected]