Much of what we are now (rational, educated and even democrats), and what differentiates us from the viscerality of past centuries, we owe to the Enlightenment. That fundamental movement of the late second half of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century aimed at, and largely succeeded in, “dispelling the darkness of humanity’s ignorance through the lights of knowledge and reason,” thus opening the door to liberalism and its now entrenched doctrine of individual liberty and equality before the law, among other key concepts. A group of researchers, headed by David García López, professor of Art History at the University of Murcia (UMU), has set out to shed more light on that period of enlightenment in an area, that of the vision of art in Spain, which Curiously, and despite its great influence, it has not yet been the subject of sufficient studies.
“It is important to say that in the 18th century what we could call the first national cultural identities of the different important countries of Europe were going to be formed,” the specialist clarifies. That is to say, at that moment the cultural references used by the nationalist feelings of the different countries were created to differentiate themselves from the others. That is where the myth of Cervantes was born in Spain, for example, as a figure of our identity. And the same thing happened with Shakespeare for England and Molière for France.
Each country was shaping its own cultural identity during that stage, for which it was essential to have distinctive fine arts. “Therefore there is also a nationalist sense of vindication of those fine arts that have been produced in each country.” Spain was attacked during the Enlightenment, especially from France, due to a low cultural production and a low scientific level, while criticism extended to the cruelties committed during the conquest of America. The famous black legend.
In response to that dark gaze cast from Europe, initiatives such as the commission of the crown to Antonio Pons were undertaken so that he “would travel throughout Spain and fundamentally collect the most important fine arts that had been produced” in the country. The result: ‘Viage de España’ (sic.), published between 1772 and 1992, “will be a fundamental book to vindicate Spanish fine arts.” Between the last third of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, “new phenomena such as temporary exhibitions of fine arts or the creation of the first museums” also took place, among which the Prado stands out, inaugurated in 1819.
In this framework, a new type of literature was also created, with which the public is taught “to differentiate what is good from what is bad.” García López explains that this “artistic criticism and historiography of the enlightened and liberal period forms one of the fundamental episodes of Spanish fine arts literature.”
How do we see each other?
The research led by David García focuses on some of those books and authors of the time to shed light on these elements that have been important in shaping what we are now in Spain, or, better, how we see ourselves.
Throughout that fundamental period, summarizes the specialist, “works were written and published that are still a reference and that laid the foundations for the modern development of art criticism and history.” However, “despite this recognized importance, there are many aspects that remain to be addressed.” The researcher refers to the lack, “on the one hand, of updated monographic studies of some of its main protagonists, works and themes, as well as [de] overall analysis of the period”. Put very synthetically: what was the perception of the historical evolution of Spanish art at the time? Understanding it will lead us to understand our current appreciation of our artistic wealth.
«Under the century of Enlightenment, the consideration
-
History of art.
The country’s vision of its own artistic creations is key to shaping a national identity. -
Answer.
The unsatisfactory look that was held over Spain prompted some fine arts initiatives to show the best of the country. -
Women.
The role of prominent women at that time is shown as another almost unprecedented contribution of this research.
social predicated of the history of art, the place occupied by the artistic legacy in the cultural and political framework”, says García López from Rome, where the “16th Congress of the International Society for Eighteenth Century Studies” is about to start. “All this makes this moment one of the most decisive in the modern conformation of knowledge and understanding of the artistic”, specifies the director of the work, in which they also participate, together with experts from the University of Murcia (UMU), external collaborators such as Elena Santiago, from the National Library of Spain; Daniel Crespo Delgado, from the Complutense University of Madrid, and Joaquín Álvarez Barrientos, from the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).
The research, funded by the Seneca Foundation, aims to “outline two essential problems.” The first consists of elucidating «what were the institutions, the springs of power and the operation of the networks of collaboration and influence that were behind the contributions of criticism and artistic historiography of the Enlightenment to Liberalism». And the second problem exposed leads the group of specialists to “determine the personal and professional profiles of the writers who dealt with such matters.”
The role of women
Basically, the main objective is to study the artistic historical processes of the time and the writings on the fine arts that were produced during those years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The arrival of art criticism in the periodical press is an important issue in this area, points out the art historian.
The project is completed with an additional question of great depth: “We also want to incorporate the role of women and the fine arts in this historical period into our object of study.” David García specifies that “the issue of women has yet to be studied, for example, at the Royal Academy of San Fernando”, a key entity in Spanish fine arts created in the middle of the 18th century. «We know the data of some noble ladies who, with increasing frequency, were exhibiting their paintings in the institution’s annual exhibitions throughout the 19th century», for example, or the «relevant role in the Artistic and Literary Lyceum» of several women. “However”, the researcher details, until now there are few studies that have focused on these female characters”, despite the fact that “they used to be women of great social relevance at the time”.
Much Salzillo and little Musso in the Region
The studies of the history of art on the eighteenth century in the Region of Murcia, explains the doctor from the Complutense University of Madrid and professor at the University of Murcia David García, “have focused, in my opinion, too much on the figure of Francisco Salzillo », who attributes it to «giving a somewhat national-Catholic image». It is, in his opinion, a vision “and that was more in the eyes of historians than in the time they studied.” García regrets that they have forgotten, for example, “very important figures, who have practically not been studied in the case of Murcia, such as José Musso Valiente, a fundamental character in the period we are studying, who was born in Lorca in 1785”, who He has an important body of work as a humanist, historian, poet and producer, in addition to having cultivated a notable interest in science.
#Light #artistic #vision #Enlightenment #understand #Spain