Spanish Baroque painting

Spanish Baroque painting refers to the style of painting which developed in Spain throughout the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century.^[1] The style appeared in early 17th century paintings, and arose in response to Mannerist distortions and idealisation of beauty in excess, appearing in early 17th century paintings. Its main objective was, above all, to allow the viewer to easily understand the scenes depicted in the works through the use of realism, while also meeting the Catholic Church's demands for 'decorum' during the Counter-Reformation.

The naturalism typical of the Caravaggisti in Italy, and the dramatic illumination of Tenebrism that was introduced in Spain after 1610, would go on to shape the dominant style of painting in Spain in the first half of the 17th century. The style was later influenced by Flemish Baroque painting, as the Spanish Habsburgs ruled over an area of the Netherlands during this period. The arrival of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens in Spain, who visited the country in 1603 and 1628, also had some influence Spanish painting. However, it was the profusion of his works, as well as those of his students, which would go on to have an even greater impact from 1638 onward. Ruben's influence was later combined with the technique used by Titian, which incorporated loose brushstrokes and broken contours; the fusion of these influences was key to the creation of the works of Diego Velázquez, the most prestigious artist of the period.

The combination of Flemish influences, the new artistic trends from Italy, the arrival of the fresco painters Agostino Mitelli and Angelo Michele Colonna in 1658, as well as the arrival of Luca Giordano in 1692, would lead to the zenith of the Baroque period, characterised by its dynamism and innovation, in the second half of the 17th century. Despite the fact that Spain was hit especially hard by the General Crisis, this period is known as the Golden Age of Spanish Painting, because of the great quantity, quality, and originality of the world class artists that arose during the time.