Spanish art from the Golden Age to 'Guernica'
Weekend-long art history and theory course
21 March 2020 10am - 5pm22 March 2020 10am - 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
£420. Includes all materials, light refreshments and wine reception at the end of day one.
Picasso and Paper
Terms and conditions
As the Royal Academy displays an exhibition of works by Picasso, we take a weekend to trace 300 years of fascinating Spanish art that lead up to the artist’s classic work, 'Guernica'.
Taking the Spanish Golden Age as a starting point, this course will explore the changing fortunes of one of Europe’s most powerful empires. It will look at the rise – and subsequent decline – of the Spanish Habsburg Empire and the unique artwork that it produced. The course also focuses on Spain’s position as a Catholic stronghold and the gateway to the New World, and the impact this had on its art and artists.
The course will contextualise the works of the Spanish Baroque masters, El Greco, Murillo and, of course, Velázquez. Participants will study the work of Goya, looking both at his role as Spanish Court Painter, and as revolutionary. We will head into the 20th century and explore the vital role Spanish artists played in the development of modernism, including Dalí, Miró and the architect Gaudí. Finally the course will look at Picasso’s own complicated relationship with his home country and the divisive politics sweeping Spain at the time.
Students will be taught by a series of art historians, curators and experts on the art of Spain and will be encouraged to engage in debate and discussion.
Minimum age 18. If you have any accessibility needs, please contact academicprogrammes@royalacademy.org.uk.
About the speakers
Sir John Elliott has devoted his career as a professional historian to the study of early moden Spain, Europe and the Americas. His books include Imperial Spain, 1469-1716, A Palace for a King with Jonathan Brown, and History in the Making. He has been decorated by the Spanish government and was knighted for his services to history in 1994.
Dr Jacqueline Cockburn is Managing Director of Art and Culture Andalucía. She runs residential courses in Andalucía in the art and culture of the region and is a course leader at the V&A. She has recently published A Taste of Art, London.
Isabelle Kent is an art historian, writer and lecturer specialising in Spanish art. From 2017 to 2019 she worked as the Enriqueta Harris Frankfort Curatorial Assistant of Spanish Painting at the Wallace Collection. Isabelle is currently editing a volume on the collecting of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's work in Britain.
Dr Simon Lee is Honorary Fellow in the History of Art at the University of Reading. He specialises in French and Spanish art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with a particular interest in Francisco Goya, Jacques-Louis David, and Eugène Delacroix. He is author of the two volumes on David and Delacroix in the Phaidon Art & Ideas series.
Colin Wiggins was Special Projects Curator at the National Gallery until 2016. He worked with artists such as Paula Rego, Peter Blake, Ana Maria Pacheco and Michael Landy on the Associate Artist scheme. He has also curated exhibitions of Frank Auerbach, Anthony Caro, RB Kitaj, Ed and Nancy Kienholz and Bridget Riley.
Barry Venning is an Associate Lecturer in art history for the Open University. His principal teaching and research interests include European modernism, South Asian art since 1900 and British landscape painting, on which he has published extensively, including the volume on Turner in Phaidon's Art & Ideas series.
Professor Eugenio Carmona is Senior Professor of Art History at the University of Malaga and director of the Picasso Chair of the Málaga Foundation. He is advisor to the Institute of Culture of the Fundación MAPFRE, a member of the technical commission of the Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art and scientific collaborator of the Picasso Foundation.
The Instituto Cervantes was created in Spain in 1991 to promote the Spanish language and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. Its Head Office is in Madrid and Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), the birthplace of the writer Miguel de Cervantes.
Our courses and classes programme
Our varied programme of short courses and classes provides an opportunity to explore subjects ranging from life drawing to the history of exhibitions and arts management, led by expert tutors and practising artists. These courses introduce traditional art-making processes, as well as perspectives on art history, theory and business.
Give this course as a gift
All of our courses can be purchased as a gift for a friend or family member – giving the gift of education and a remarkable experience. To arrange a personalised Gift Voucher, please contact the Academic Programmes Team, by calling 020 7300 5641 or email academicprogrammes@royalacademy.org.uk