While I may be Jewish, and I believe my commitment to my faith & heritage has shown in my previous posts, I am not very observent at all. [Sidenote: not that I think my level of observence or lack thereof in comparison to others directly correlates to how worthy of a Jew/individual I am, though.] Still, the last time I went to Shabbat services was, admitely, last summer. I was in Washington D.C. participating in a summer internship program which provided me with the privilege of interning in the office of a member of Congress (who happened to be a Smith alum at that!) & a program alum who was also working in the city invited me.
Even though I'm proud to identify as someone who's Jewish and certainly wish I was more literate in the fine points of the Tanakh (the collective of Jewish scripture which includes the Torah), it's not very often that I'll actively contemplate what I am lucky enough to have learned. Lately, though, I've been thinking a lot about the rabbi's commentary on the parsha of the week during that last Shabbat service I attended- Moshe & the 12 spies he sent to the land of Israel. The rabbi mentioned how the Israelites were living in comfort- temperature control, manna readily available & the like. However, this comfort did not lead them to engage in much meaning in their lives, which can be a much more difficult process. We think we can find a middle ground between the two- a comfortable meaning, or a meaningful comfort- but in reality, this is not the case. It is necessary to give up a large amount of comfort to engage in what is meaningful.
He used the 12 individuals surveying the land of Israel seeing themselves as "spies", as "outsiders", as an example of the necessity of a paradigm shift. If we see ourselves as foreigners, as outsiders in a given situation, we will likely find what is necessary to adapt to this environment to be a burdensome "chore". Like several of the surveyors, we will view the challenges we face & then ask ourselves "why bother?". But if we see ourselves as otherwise, we will perhaps find some of these things as not so much a "chore" but a necessary component in order to grow into deeper meaning & understanding.
So what does this all have to do with my "Adventures in Andalucía"? When it comes to pushing myself out of my comfort zone in many ways- such as immersing myself in Spanish language & culture, following through in doing the hard work that's needed to improve my Spanish-speaking skills, living with a new family, participating in my study abroad program with 50+ students & staff whom I didn't know beforehand, living in a different country for the first time (albeit all for a mere four months), I think it has to do with a lot.
I only arrived in Córdoba two weeks ago, but already I find that I need to renew my commitment to gaining new meaning from this experience. Specifically, facing the fact that I won't find it by trying to hold onto a significant amount of comfort. Unsurprisingly, there have already been challenges I've faced, ones where I've found myself asking "why bother?". Except as corny as it sounds, I know how these personal challenges are not only necessary but challenges I know can fully own & take on successfully with a change in thinking.
But first I need to stop thinking of myself as an "outsider". It's not that I'm looking to ignore the fact that I'm an American in Spain, but that I need to stop feeling like an outsider looking in.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Classes So Far & Spring Break Plans
Last night was definitely a reality check. To start, we have ten days of vacation during Easter week. Even though my original travel goals were 1) See as much of Spain as I can 2) Travel to Lisbon/Portugal 3) Travel to Morocco, but not alone! & 4) Make my second visit to Paris (my first was in spring '07) with my mom & aunt after my program ends, I was determined to get to London for the second half of my break. Unfortunately, I had to face the fact that this was not going to happen after it became clear to me that 1) Airline prices jump like no other during Easter week, even so-called "cheap" ones 2) "Cheap" flights into London are called just that because you have to shell out quite a fair share of pounds to actually get into the city via express trains & often arrive right around the time when they stop running 3) Just how expensive things would be in London (ex. hostel, food, fun stuff) considering how while the euro just wrecks havoc on the dollar, the pound more or less leaves it for dead. I was bummed after spending so much time & effort to put together an flight intinerary I was willing & able to pay for, only to realize that one simply didn't exist. Or one that didn't make me worry about being a possible scam, anyway. Needless to say, I did not go to bed happy.
However, now that it's the next day (well, technically early evening by Spainish standards), things are put into perspective. I decided to book round trip tickets from Madrid to Lisbon for the first half of my vacation which was 50%+ off what it would have cost me to add on transportation to London alone. I will spend the second half of the week in Madrid, likely exploring some of its interesting neighborhoods & visiting some lesser-known but reputable art museums I won't be able to fit in when I meet my mom & aunt there after PRESHCO ends. This plan does a much better job of keeping my original goals in check. Especially considering if I chose to visit London, I might not have been able to afford Morocco & would have had less to contribute to my Paris trip. Additionally, PRESHCO offers us reembulsos (reimbursements) of up to $500 in total for the semester to use for pretty much anything except for alcohol or travel outside of Spain. So it's essentially an extra $500 "kitty" of sorts which I can possibly draw from during the second half of my vacation & therefore another way to cut corners while keeping my original goals in mind. In the end, I need to remember that I need to do what's best for my budget, that in reality there will be other participants who can afford to spend more than I can (which certainly doesn't inherently make any of us better or worse people yet does create notions of what is "cheap"/"a steal"/"affordable" which can differ dramatically) but I can still do my share of traveling. Not to mention this is hardly the only time I can travel to international destinations I want to go to, either.
So far, my PRESHCO classes- which of course are all in Spanish- are going well. I'm taking Spanish Art History, which starts with Spanish Baroque art & archeitecture & ends in the modern era of Picasso & Dalí. While the textbook we're using seems to skimp on the details of a topic I actively want to learn more about, I like the professor & it seems like she packs a lot of enriching information into her classes to keep us engaged. My Advanced Oral & Written Communication class seems like it'll be by far the largest workload this semester. But as I've learned from the Spanish class I've been taking with my mom & sister at home + past hard lessons, the opportunity to better my Spanish skills will simply pass me by if I'm not willing to work hard. I'm looking forward to covering some aspects of grammar & the like which I still struggle with. My Comparative Politics Class (Spain vs. U.S.) seems like it'll be interesting, but we haven't done much in the class yet. The class is team-taught & the professors told us things will pick up next week. Regardless, I planned completing my government major on the assumption that I fulfill my comparative government class requirement abroad, so I'm stuck like a truck with it. Already with the elections coming up in Spain, my lack of knowledge of Spanish politics is already showing so I suppose I can benefit in one way or another regardless. Lastly, I'm taking a 100+ student lecture class on Human Rights to satisfy the requirement that each PRESHCO student take a class directly offered by the University of Cordoba. It seems large, but my favorite college class was Renaissance-Modern Art at UMass which had ~230 students! So far, we've only had a brief overview of the class during orientation, since it's a "direct enhanced class" (meaning it's offered by the University of Cordoba instead of PRESHCO but PRESHCO offers a mandatory weekly tutorial session for all its students in the class to ensure we understand the material), but the topic of theory & practice together seems interesting.
Sorry to not include any pictures this time, but I promise that I have these posts coming up that will include pictures galore straight from my camera:
-Our visit to Barcelona (likely divided into 2 parts, since I have so many pictures to post!)
-My favorite works at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona
-Our visit to different sites in Córdoba (la Gran Mezquita, la Casa Sefarad, el Alzazar, the Madinat Al-Zahra ruins).
-A post with photos around my "daily life" here.... so far
-Our visit to Zuheros this Friday, a small village in the province which is apparently known for great cheese. Maybe I'll be able to have some wine with that cheese considering it is Spain after all!
However, now that it's the next day (well, technically early evening by Spainish standards), things are put into perspective. I decided to book round trip tickets from Madrid to Lisbon for the first half of my vacation which was 50%+ off what it would have cost me to add on transportation to London alone. I will spend the second half of the week in Madrid, likely exploring some of its interesting neighborhoods & visiting some lesser-known but reputable art museums I won't be able to fit in when I meet my mom & aunt there after PRESHCO ends. This plan does a much better job of keeping my original goals in check. Especially considering if I chose to visit London, I might not have been able to afford Morocco & would have had less to contribute to my Paris trip. Additionally, PRESHCO offers us reembulsos (reimbursements) of up to $500 in total for the semester to use for pretty much anything except for alcohol or travel outside of Spain. So it's essentially an extra $500 "kitty" of sorts which I can possibly draw from during the second half of my vacation & therefore another way to cut corners while keeping my original goals in mind. In the end, I need to remember that I need to do what's best for my budget, that in reality there will be other participants who can afford to spend more than I can (which certainly doesn't inherently make any of us better or worse people yet does create notions of what is "cheap"/"a steal"/"affordable" which can differ dramatically) but I can still do my share of traveling. Not to mention this is hardly the only time I can travel to international destinations I want to go to, either.
So far, my PRESHCO classes- which of course are all in Spanish- are going well. I'm taking Spanish Art History, which starts with Spanish Baroque art & archeitecture & ends in the modern era of Picasso & Dalí. While the textbook we're using seems to skimp on the details of a topic I actively want to learn more about, I like the professor & it seems like she packs a lot of enriching information into her classes to keep us engaged. My Advanced Oral & Written Communication class seems like it'll be by far the largest workload this semester. But as I've learned from the Spanish class I've been taking with my mom & sister at home + past hard lessons, the opportunity to better my Spanish skills will simply pass me by if I'm not willing to work hard. I'm looking forward to covering some aspects of grammar & the like which I still struggle with. My Comparative Politics Class (Spain vs. U.S.) seems like it'll be interesting, but we haven't done much in the class yet. The class is team-taught & the professors told us things will pick up next week. Regardless, I planned completing my government major on the assumption that I fulfill my comparative government class requirement abroad, so I'm stuck like a truck with it. Already with the elections coming up in Spain, my lack of knowledge of Spanish politics is already showing so I suppose I can benefit in one way or another regardless. Lastly, I'm taking a 100+ student lecture class on Human Rights to satisfy the requirement that each PRESHCO student take a class directly offered by the University of Cordoba. It seems large, but my favorite college class was Renaissance-Modern Art at UMass which had ~230 students! So far, we've only had a brief overview of the class during orientation, since it's a "direct enhanced class" (meaning it's offered by the University of Cordoba instead of PRESHCO but PRESHCO offers a mandatory weekly tutorial session for all its students in the class to ensure we understand the material), but the topic of theory & practice together seems interesting.
Sorry to not include any pictures this time, but I promise that I have these posts coming up that will include pictures galore straight from my camera:
-Our visit to Barcelona (likely divided into 2 parts, since I have so many pictures to post!)
-My favorite works at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona
-Our visit to different sites in Córdoba (la Gran Mezquita, la Casa Sefarad, el Alzazar, the Madinat Al-Zahra ruins).
-A post with photos around my "daily life" here.... so far
-Our visit to Zuheros this Friday, a small village in the province which is apparently known for great cheese. Maybe I'll be able to have some wine with that cheese considering it is Spain after all!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Prado Prado Prado Prado Prado!
As an art history aficionado, I was EXTREMELY excited to visit the Museo del Prado. It was founded in 1819 by Fernando VII in a former palace to allow the public to view a portion of the extensive royal art collection & consistently ranks as one the best & most-visited art museums in the world. The collection is pre-20th century European art & even though it underwent extensive renovations just a few years ago to accomodate even more works of art, it's impossible to fathom that the thousands of paintings, drawings, prints & scupltures on display are just a fraction of the museum's collection.
As with the Reina Sofia, I'm going to include 10 of the many many works of art & saw & liked. In no particular order:
1. Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656). Yet another painting where I didn't realize how HUGE it was until I saw it in-person. It's interesting to see how to Velázquez depicts optical preceptions of light vs. merely using it to model figures. In turn, there's appearance of light on the surface but more closely, it became immediately clear that his figures also dissolve into a maze of individual strokes of paint. The mirror reflecting the king & queen (where the viewer would in theory be reflected!) also contributes to the motif of illusion & the artist-spectator relationship. Of course, you can see Velázquez himself painting on the left with the Order of Santiago on his chest, proclaiming the importance of painting as a liberal art.
2. Francisco de Goya's Family of Charles IV (1800). Even though King Charles IV looks extremely bloated & under all his fine clothes & jewels, as unfit a ruler as he apparently was -not to mention his wife's alleged affairs are suggested with her wandering eye- he apparently was a big fan of the painting! Go figure. Very typical of Goya to satirically depit how the authority of the Spanish aristocracy was crumbling at the time. Fun Fact: Fernando VII (again, the royal who founded the Prado!) is the one on the left in blue.
3. Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1505-15). In the right panel, we see sinners meeting their fate during the Last Judgement, no biggie. And the left panel includes Adam & Eve with an owl nearby to represent both wisdom & folly. Yet perhaps there's something to be said with the clear humanist/renaissance views here of the power of education & that humans will choose the Right Path when they're made aware of it. Even with the unnatural hybrids, monstrous birds & huge fruits representing how Bosch believes how far we've strayed, his eye for complex detail is facsinating to look at. Which makes sense, since it was comissioned by an Flemish aristocrat for his townhouse & thus probably meant to inspire discussion in the first place. Another slide Blogger keeps painfully downsizing, but you can see a decently-sized one here.
4. Velázquez's The Surrender at Breda (The Lances) (1635). Of course, I had to include another Velázquez here. Especially with its unique protrayal of triumph & conquest far from your typical gloating. The painting specifically depicts the 1625defeat of the Dutch at Breda by the Spanish commander Ambrosino Spinola. The Dutch Commander is handing over the keys of Breda to the Spinola. There's the contrast of the Spaniards' densely packed lances which stand vertically upright to those of the defeated Dutch on the other side. Even though historical reports don't include any handingover of keys, document the Dutch as the more presentable group- who then retook Breda less than a decade later- it's certainly a beautiful work of art, even if it isn't 100% historically accurate.Velázquez doesn't dissapoint in his rendering of faces, gestures & flowing color (especially when used to depict the landscape) in trying to convince us otherwise, though!
5. Goya's The 3rd of May, 1808 (1814-15). Like with Velázquez, the Prado boasts an impressive collection of Goya's work, so of course I had to include another one. Goya's paying tribute to the Spanish resisters of the French occupations while focusing on the horror of war. Like with Picasso's Guernica, it's size makes it even more moving & bloody in-person. With the sensationalist depiction of what was then a current event, loose brushwork, realist facial expressions, off-balance composition & dramatic lighting, some argue this is actually one of the first modern artworks.
6. Rogier van der Weyden’s Deposition (c.1435-38). Van Der Weyden does an amazing job depicting the drama & emotion of Christ on the cross, especially with the palette he chooses to use. The figures almost appear three-dimensional, encouraging the viewer to identify with their plight. Especially with the graceful curve of the body of Christ & the Virgin Mary to the left, depicting their emotional connection as mother & son. The iconic event is eloquently linked with humanism's focus on individual expression of emotion as you can see each figure reacting in their own unique way.
7. Clara Peeters’ Still Life With Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit & Pretzels (1611). I was instantly drawn to this painting & equally impressed seeing a female artist displayed at the Prado- unfortunately a rare exception. The contrast of dark & light hitting the surfaces, the shapes of goblet, bowl & flowers as well as the intricate curves of the pretzels are spectacular. Too bad female artists are seldom recognized for their work to the same extent male artists are.
8. Peter Paul Rubens' Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma (1603). Rubens painted this portrait during his visit to Spain, one of his many examples of art & politics/diplomacy together. While it reflects royal portraiture at the time in an influential & fierce appearance, Rubens also infuses it with his typical lush color & gleaming light.
9. Federico Madrazo's La Condesa de Vilches (1853). Confession time: I probably would've looked this painting over if my guidebook hadn't told me I should seek it out. Especially considering I had never heard of Madrazo before. Which is a shame because he does a great job depicting her grace & beauty through the tone of her skin, the folds & patterning of her flattering blue dress, and her warm smile. Another painting whose details are truly appreciated up close & I hope to see more of his work at the Prado when I go back to Madrid.
10. Passion for Renoir. The Collection of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. The Prado had a temporary exhibition of works by Renoir from the Clark Institute in Williamston, MA which was set to close that Sunday. The reason why it was such a wonderful surprise was because I went on a field trip to the Clark with my Art in the Age of Impressionism class last semester & almost all the Renoirs on view were currently loaned out for this very exhibit! I'm a big fan of Renoir's portraits & I can't choose just one, so slides of each the ones on view are available here if you're interested. Again, it was a wonderful surprise to be able the catch the very exhibit of the Renoirs I couldn't see back in the fall- & during its last few days at that! (We learned they had been lent out when we got to the Clark, but I didn't know where.)
For other art history aficionados who are visiting the Prado, I would highly suggest a "game plan" to make sure you see everything you want to see- or almost everything, anyway. And therefore, keep the possibility open of coming back again, since it can be a lot to meaningfully take in in a day. For example, I didn't get to see most of the Rembrants, Rubens, or Titians I wanted to see as well as the arists- like Clara Peeters- which I was introduced to for the first time. There was also a group of El Greco paintings which I was looking forward to see which are currently on loan to a museum in Saint Petersburg & won't be back until the end of May. Meaning I may or may not be able to catch them. And that's all what I can think of at the top of my head alone! Luckily, I know there's a very good chance I'll be heading back when my program ends :)
As with the Reina Sofia, I'm going to include 10 of the many many works of art & saw & liked. In no particular order:
1. Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (1656). Yet another painting where I didn't realize how HUGE it was until I saw it in-person. It's interesting to see how to Velázquez depicts optical preceptions of light vs. merely using it to model figures. In turn, there's appearance of light on the surface but more closely, it became immediately clear that his figures also dissolve into a maze of individual strokes of paint. The mirror reflecting the king & queen (where the viewer would in theory be reflected!) also contributes to the motif of illusion & the artist-spectator relationship. Of course, you can see Velázquez himself painting on the left with the Order of Santiago on his chest, proclaiming the importance of painting as a liberal art.
2. Francisco de Goya's Family of Charles IV (1800). Even though King Charles IV looks extremely bloated & under all his fine clothes & jewels, as unfit a ruler as he apparently was -not to mention his wife's alleged affairs are suggested with her wandering eye- he apparently was a big fan of the painting! Go figure. Very typical of Goya to satirically depit how the authority of the Spanish aristocracy was crumbling at the time. Fun Fact: Fernando VII (again, the royal who founded the Prado!) is the one on the left in blue.
3. Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1505-15). In the right panel, we see sinners meeting their fate during the Last Judgement, no biggie. And the left panel includes Adam & Eve with an owl nearby to represent both wisdom & folly. Yet perhaps there's something to be said with the clear humanist/renaissance views here of the power of education & that humans will choose the Right Path when they're made aware of it. Even with the unnatural hybrids, monstrous birds & huge fruits representing how Bosch believes how far we've strayed, his eye for complex detail is facsinating to look at. Which makes sense, since it was comissioned by an Flemish aristocrat for his townhouse & thus probably meant to inspire discussion in the first place. Another slide Blogger keeps painfully downsizing, but you can see a decently-sized one here.
4. Velázquez's The Surrender at Breda (The Lances) (1635). Of course, I had to include another Velázquez here. Especially with its unique protrayal of triumph & conquest far from your typical gloating. The painting specifically depicts the 1625defeat of the Dutch at Breda by the Spanish commander Ambrosino Spinola. The Dutch Commander is handing over the keys of Breda to the Spinola. There's the contrast of the Spaniards' densely packed lances which stand vertically upright to those of the defeated Dutch on the other side. Even though historical reports don't include any handingover of keys, document the Dutch as the more presentable group- who then retook Breda less than a decade later- it's certainly a beautiful work of art, even if it isn't 100% historically accurate.Velázquez doesn't dissapoint in his rendering of faces, gestures & flowing color (especially when used to depict the landscape) in trying to convince us otherwise, though!
5. Goya's The 3rd of May, 1808 (1814-15). Like with Velázquez, the Prado boasts an impressive collection of Goya's work, so of course I had to include another one. Goya's paying tribute to the Spanish resisters of the French occupations while focusing on the horror of war. Like with Picasso's Guernica, it's size makes it even more moving & bloody in-person. With the sensationalist depiction of what was then a current event, loose brushwork, realist facial expressions, off-balance composition & dramatic lighting, some argue this is actually one of the first modern artworks.
6. Rogier van der Weyden’s Deposition (c.1435-38). Van Der Weyden does an amazing job depicting the drama & emotion of Christ on the cross, especially with the palette he chooses to use. The figures almost appear three-dimensional, encouraging the viewer to identify with their plight. Especially with the graceful curve of the body of Christ & the Virgin Mary to the left, depicting their emotional connection as mother & son. The iconic event is eloquently linked with humanism's focus on individual expression of emotion as you can see each figure reacting in their own unique way.
7. Clara Peeters’ Still Life With Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit & Pretzels (1611). I was instantly drawn to this painting & equally impressed seeing a female artist displayed at the Prado- unfortunately a rare exception. The contrast of dark & light hitting the surfaces, the shapes of goblet, bowl & flowers as well as the intricate curves of the pretzels are spectacular. Too bad female artists are seldom recognized for their work to the same extent male artists are.
8. Peter Paul Rubens' Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Lerma (1603). Rubens painted this portrait during his visit to Spain, one of his many examples of art & politics/diplomacy together. While it reflects royal portraiture at the time in an influential & fierce appearance, Rubens also infuses it with his typical lush color & gleaming light.
9. Federico Madrazo's La Condesa de Vilches (1853). Confession time: I probably would've looked this painting over if my guidebook hadn't told me I should seek it out. Especially considering I had never heard of Madrazo before. Which is a shame because he does a great job depicting her grace & beauty through the tone of her skin, the folds & patterning of her flattering blue dress, and her warm smile. Another painting whose details are truly appreciated up close & I hope to see more of his work at the Prado when I go back to Madrid.
10. Passion for Renoir. The Collection of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. The Prado had a temporary exhibition of works by Renoir from the Clark Institute in Williamston, MA which was set to close that Sunday. The reason why it was such a wonderful surprise was because I went on a field trip to the Clark with my Art in the Age of Impressionism class last semester & almost all the Renoirs on view were currently loaned out for this very exhibit! I'm a big fan of Renoir's portraits & I can't choose just one, so slides of each the ones on view are available here if you're interested. Again, it was a wonderful surprise to be able the catch the very exhibit of the Renoirs I couldn't see back in the fall- & during its last few days at that! (We learned they had been lent out when we got to the Clark, but I didn't know where.)
For other art history aficionados who are visiting the Prado, I would highly suggest a "game plan" to make sure you see everything you want to see- or almost everything, anyway. And therefore, keep the possibility open of coming back again, since it can be a lot to meaningfully take in in a day. For example, I didn't get to see most of the Rembrants, Rubens, or Titians I wanted to see as well as the arists- like Clara Peeters- which I was introduced to for the first time. There was also a group of El Greco paintings which I was looking forward to see which are currently on loan to a museum in Saint Petersburg & won't be back until the end of May. Meaning I may or may not be able to catch them. And that's all what I can think of at the top of my head alone! Luckily, I know there's a very good chance I'll be heading back when my program ends :)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Reina Sofia!
I spent an afternoon at Museo Nacional del Arte Reina Sofia while I was in Madrid. Luckily, it was a short walk from our hotel. The museum's collection is almost entirely modern Spanish art. Picasso is by far my favorite artist & since I've learned a lot about his as well as Dalí's work, I was looking forward to visiting. Never mind my favorite era of art history is 19th century to premodern art. After I took my Renaissance-Modern Art at UMass last spring, I've been taking small notebooks with me to art museums to jot down paintings I particularly liked & other information I might want to remember later. So this post has a mere 7 of the many works at the Reina Sofia which I happened to like in no particular order:
1. Picasso's Guernica (1937) . The crown jewel of the Reina Sofia & probably the main motivator for many (myself included!) to pay the museum's 6 euro admission fee. I wrote my final paper for my Iberian Literature, Art & Society class on this piece AND THEN it showed up on my Renaissance-Modern Art final as an essay question! Picasso painted Guernica after the bombing of the Basque town which the painting is named after by Franco's German allies. There are a lot of different interpretations as to what each specific figure & figment of the work represents, but the use of color & expression is used to express the horrors & destruction of war, especially those which innocent civilians too often experience. I knew the canvas was quite large, but its size when I saw it in-person as well as the details which were much more visible when viewing the actual canvas instead of a mere picture of it made the work even more moving. Except the painting also has two guides on either side of it at all times + a black line clearly marked on the floor with tape which no one is allowed to cross (which didn't stop folks from trying to get a closer look & caused a very loud alarm to set off each time).
Blogger keeps downsizes the slide into a painfully small size, but you can find a decent slide which lets you zoom in here
2. Joan Miró's Ciurana, the Path (1917). The colors made for quite a trippy- and dare I say it, surreal (get it?!) experience. While it looks like it's done in the free form-like manner associated with surrealism's focus on psychological spontaneity expressed in artwork, something about the use of color and line also made it somewhat ordered as well. In the sense that I could make out the path, the trees, etc.
3. Picasso's Woman in Blue (1901). It reminded me a lot of Velázquez's court paintings, including those I saw in the National Gallery of Art in D.C. over the summer. Which isn't surprising since some art critics think this painting is meant to be in dialogue which Velázquez's work. Her dress looks ornate on a slide like the one below, but actually is a loose mix of color & brushstrokes up close. I had seen another slide of it in a book I have about Picasso's earlier work, but in-person there are many nuances of her (hardly warm) facial expression & personality.
4. Dalí Figure at a Window (1925). It's a portrait of his sister with a view of Cadaqués, a small village in Catalunya which includes Dalí's house now open to the public as a museum. I'll make it out there for a visit in my dreams. I had vaguely come across the painting when I was looking through catalogues of his work in Smith's art library for my final paper for my Culturas de España class (see a pattern of independently incorporating art history in my Spanish classes? :) , but didn't appreciate how finely detailed it is until I came across it in the Reina Sofia's gallery of his works.
5. Daniel Vázquez Díaz's Alegría del Campo Vasco (Joy of the Basque Countryside) , 1920. Considering my Spanish seminar was about nationalism centered around minoritized languages & cultures - including in the Basque Country, Catalunya & Galicia in Spain- I was reminded of images of the Basque Country as rural and backward. I had never heard of this Spanish artist before, so it was interesting to get to know some of his work. The use of color to create the scenery as well as his figures reminded me a bit of Gauguin's depiction of Tahiti as paradise of sorts untained by modern life- which is obviously problematic, yet I couldn't help but find the piece pleasing in the same way as I would a Gauguin.
6. Ángeles Santos Torroella's El Mundo(World) . 1929. Another artist I had never heard of before (& a woman artist at that!) until I came across this very large, very imposing canvas. At the risk of sounding corny, the canvas strongly radiated the humanity, vibrance & potential that comes from the interconnectedness of our global society, both for better & worse.
7. Ángeles Santos Torroella's Tertulia (Gathering) . 1929. A really interesting painting about women & gender during this time period of Spain right before Primo & then, Franco. I felt it included the theme of how women being left out of the public sector not only denies them meaningful personal & intellectual lives but denies an ability to connect & build bonds between each other. Kind of showing how "the personal is political" 30+ years early, if you will. She's certainly an artist I want to explore further in my History of Spanish Art class- hopefully my professor will encourage my interests! Unfortunately that wasn't the case with my last art history class- I think I was spoiled by my Spanish advisor's classes where we had more academic freedom.
Lastly, the gallery opposite the one reserved for Guernica (yes, of course it has a gallery all to itself!) had copies of Picasso's Dream & Lie of Franco prints. I won't post slides of them because some of the imagery is quite graphic considering their satirical purpose, but it's super easy to google them if you want. Although of course I had seen them before: the Smith College Museum of Art has the Cunningham Center, where anyone can make an appointment to see up to 15 drawings or prints in the SCMA collection. Right up close & personal. So while I was able to see these prints in Madrid, I reminded how way too many Smithies don't realize how works of art by artists known around the world (including those in prominent museums such as the Reina Sofia) can also been seen right down the street.
Just thought I should end on that note considering I left the campus for the semester to go to Spain & all :)
1. Picasso's Guernica (1937) . The crown jewel of the Reina Sofia & probably the main motivator for many (myself included!) to pay the museum's 6 euro admission fee. I wrote my final paper for my Iberian Literature, Art & Society class on this piece AND THEN it showed up on my Renaissance-Modern Art final as an essay question! Picasso painted Guernica after the bombing of the Basque town which the painting is named after by Franco's German allies. There are a lot of different interpretations as to what each specific figure & figment of the work represents, but the use of color & expression is used to express the horrors & destruction of war, especially those which innocent civilians too often experience. I knew the canvas was quite large, but its size when I saw it in-person as well as the details which were much more visible when viewing the actual canvas instead of a mere picture of it made the work even more moving. Except the painting also has two guides on either side of it at all times + a black line clearly marked on the floor with tape which no one is allowed to cross (which didn't stop folks from trying to get a closer look & caused a very loud alarm to set off each time).
Blogger keeps downsizes the slide into a painfully small size, but you can find a decent slide which lets you zoom in here
2. Joan Miró's Ciurana, the Path (1917). The colors made for quite a trippy- and dare I say it, surreal (get it?!) experience. While it looks like it's done in the free form-like manner associated with surrealism's focus on psychological spontaneity expressed in artwork, something about the use of color and line also made it somewhat ordered as well. In the sense that I could make out the path, the trees, etc.
3. Picasso's Woman in Blue (1901). It reminded me a lot of Velázquez's court paintings, including those I saw in the National Gallery of Art in D.C. over the summer. Which isn't surprising since some art critics think this painting is meant to be in dialogue which Velázquez's work. Her dress looks ornate on a slide like the one below, but actually is a loose mix of color & brushstrokes up close. I had seen another slide of it in a book I have about Picasso's earlier work, but in-person there are many nuances of her (hardly warm) facial expression & personality.
4. Dalí Figure at a Window (1925). It's a portrait of his sister with a view of Cadaqués, a small village in Catalunya which includes Dalí's house now open to the public as a museum. I'll make it out there for a visit in my dreams. I had vaguely come across the painting when I was looking through catalogues of his work in Smith's art library for my final paper for my Culturas de España class (see a pattern of independently incorporating art history in my Spanish classes? :) , but didn't appreciate how finely detailed it is until I came across it in the Reina Sofia's gallery of his works.
5. Daniel Vázquez Díaz's Alegría del Campo Vasco (Joy of the Basque Countryside) , 1920. Considering my Spanish seminar was about nationalism centered around minoritized languages & cultures - including in the Basque Country, Catalunya & Galicia in Spain- I was reminded of images of the Basque Country as rural and backward. I had never heard of this Spanish artist before, so it was interesting to get to know some of his work. The use of color to create the scenery as well as his figures reminded me a bit of Gauguin's depiction of Tahiti as paradise of sorts untained by modern life- which is obviously problematic, yet I couldn't help but find the piece pleasing in the same way as I would a Gauguin.
6. Ángeles Santos Torroella's El Mundo(World) . 1929. Another artist I had never heard of before (& a woman artist at that!) until I came across this very large, very imposing canvas. At the risk of sounding corny, the canvas strongly radiated the humanity, vibrance & potential that comes from the interconnectedness of our global society, both for better & worse.
7. Ángeles Santos Torroella's Tertulia (Gathering) . 1929. A really interesting painting about women & gender during this time period of Spain right before Primo & then, Franco. I felt it included the theme of how women being left out of the public sector not only denies them meaningful personal & intellectual lives but denies an ability to connect & build bonds between each other. Kind of showing how "the personal is political" 30+ years early, if you will. She's certainly an artist I want to explore further in my History of Spanish Art class- hopefully my professor will encourage my interests! Unfortunately that wasn't the case with my last art history class- I think I was spoiled by my Spanish advisor's classes where we had more academic freedom.
Lastly, the gallery opposite the one reserved for Guernica (yes, of course it has a gallery all to itself!) had copies of Picasso's Dream & Lie of Franco prints. I won't post slides of them because some of the imagery is quite graphic considering their satirical purpose, but it's super easy to google them if you want. Although of course I had seen them before: the Smith College Museum of Art has the Cunningham Center, where anyone can make an appointment to see up to 15 drawings or prints in the SCMA collection. Right up close & personal. So while I was able to see these prints in Madrid, I reminded how way too many Smithies don't realize how works of art by artists known around the world (including those in prominent museums such as the Reina Sofia) can also been seen right down the street.
Just thought I should end on that note considering I left the campus for the semester to go to Spain & all :)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Madrid in a Fragile Nutshell
As sat down to start this blog post relating what exactly I did in Madrid, I quickly found out I was apparently too distracted to take nearly as many pictures during this part of the trip. So bear with me if this post lacks a bit in the substence department, both in writing & photos. I'm already planning two seperate posts with my top hilights at the Prado & the Reina Sofia, respectively, though!. Obviously I would spend ~4 hours at the Prado & of course not get to see nearly as much as I wanted. Luckily, my mom is just as big on (the history of) art as I am & will probably be up for a full day there when we meet in Madrid. Since I broke my promise to not go without her (because there's no way an art aficionado can tackle it all in just one day!) I told her she could do the same.
Madrid has almost 3.5 million people- only London & Berlin are larger European cities. Needless to say, there are a lot of people.
This is a photo of a street right by our hotel. The blur in the distance is the crowd of people- it was exactly like being in Times Square in the sense that I felt if I simply stopped walking, I would continue to be pushed along by the crowd. To the left is the Corte Inglés , one of the largest department store chains in Europe. It's essentially one big Macy's + Borders + Stop & Shop + Dick's Sporting Goods put together. The glowing green cross to the right is the universal symbol which indicates a pharmacy. (though in Spain, the selection at a pharmacy is almost entirely medicine, unlike CVS or Walgreens in the U.S.)
We walked through El Madrid de los Austrias, or the old district. It translates to "The Hapsburg Madrid", to signify the dynasty of the Golden Age when it was built- the city, as well as all of Spain, experienced an abundance of economic & cultural growth during this time period. Including through colonization. We meandered a bit in La Plaza de la Villa. While rather small, it's unique in the sense of including three buildings in seperate/distinct styles. (Gothic, Renaissance & Baroque)
Of course, we also checked out the Plaza Mayor. It was designed by Juan de Herrera, the same archeitect who designed El Escorial. I have to say it didn't beat Salamanca's in my opinion, though.
All roads- in Spain, anyway- lead to the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol. Literally. It's also one of the busiest places in the city.
The clock of the old Post Office in the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol. During New Year's Eve, there's a celebration in the plaza (like the one in Times Square in NYC, it's apparently broadcast on TV so I'm guessing it's just as huge & well known in Spain) with the minutes to midnight counted on this exact clock. It's believed that the Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight- one for each sound of the bell- in order to bring good fortune in the new year started at this celebration. Today, the building actually serves as the office of President of the Comunidad Autónoma of Madrid.
Of course, Madrid takes pride in the fact that Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote during the Spanish Golden Age, lived & wrote in Madrid. I suppose I don't blame them considering it's argued to be the first modern novel and all. Today, there's a (very large) statue of the title character along with his squire, Sancho Panza, in the Plaza de España. Oh & I guess I'm somewhere in this picture, too....
Unsurprisingly, Madrid seems to have a souvenir shop wherever you turn your head. Selling souvenirs like these.
Except I didn't want to spend a lot of money right after arriving in Spain. Especially on souvenirs when I have a grand total of four months to come across the perfect ones for my family & friends. So I + others decided to go to this small, yet extremely delicious & extremely crowded pastry shop, instead. We liked it so much, we went the next day, too!
We had the fortune of visiting the Palacio Real, which used to host the royal family. Today it's only used occasionally for royal ceremonies, the royal family (yes, Spain has retained one, but they have little to no political authority) resides in the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela, & the Palacio Real is a palace-museum of sorts. Unfortunately, I was extremely exhaused from a late night & couldn't really appreciate it. So that's another site I might try to drag my mom & aunt to. Yet another site where pictures inside were not allowed, but a simple google image search reveals how lavish each of its 50 rooms open to the public are for sure.
Again, I should be posting two seperate posts with my hilights at both the Prado & Reina Sofia really soon!
Madrid has almost 3.5 million people- only London & Berlin are larger European cities. Needless to say, there are a lot of people.
This is a photo of a street right by our hotel. The blur in the distance is the crowd of people- it was exactly like being in Times Square in the sense that I felt if I simply stopped walking, I would continue to be pushed along by the crowd. To the left is the Corte Inglés , one of the largest department store chains in Europe. It's essentially one big Macy's + Borders + Stop & Shop + Dick's Sporting Goods put together. The glowing green cross to the right is the universal symbol which indicates a pharmacy. (though in Spain, the selection at a pharmacy is almost entirely medicine, unlike CVS or Walgreens in the U.S.)
We walked through El Madrid de los Austrias, or the old district. It translates to "The Hapsburg Madrid", to signify the dynasty of the Golden Age when it was built- the city, as well as all of Spain, experienced an abundance of economic & cultural growth during this time period. Including through colonization. We meandered a bit in La Plaza de la Villa. While rather small, it's unique in the sense of including three buildings in seperate/distinct styles. (Gothic, Renaissance & Baroque)
Of course, we also checked out the Plaza Mayor. It was designed by Juan de Herrera, the same archeitect who designed El Escorial. I have to say it didn't beat Salamanca's in my opinion, though.
All roads- in Spain, anyway- lead to the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol. Literally. It's also one of the busiest places in the city.
The clock of the old Post Office in the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol. During New Year's Eve, there's a celebration in the plaza (like the one in Times Square in NYC, it's apparently broadcast on TV so I'm guessing it's just as huge & well known in Spain) with the minutes to midnight counted on this exact clock. It's believed that the Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight- one for each sound of the bell- in order to bring good fortune in the new year started at this celebration. Today, the building actually serves as the office of President of the Comunidad Autónoma of Madrid.
Of course, Madrid takes pride in the fact that Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote during the Spanish Golden Age, lived & wrote in Madrid. I suppose I don't blame them considering it's argued to be the first modern novel and all. Today, there's a (very large) statue of the title character along with his squire, Sancho Panza, in the Plaza de España. Oh & I guess I'm somewhere in this picture, too....
Unsurprisingly, Madrid seems to have a souvenir shop wherever you turn your head. Selling souvenirs like these.
Except I didn't want to spend a lot of money right after arriving in Spain. Especially on souvenirs when I have a grand total of four months to come across the perfect ones for my family & friends. So I + others decided to go to this small, yet extremely delicious & extremely crowded pastry shop, instead. We liked it so much, we went the next day, too!
We had the fortune of visiting the Palacio Real, which used to host the royal family. Today it's only used occasionally for royal ceremonies, the royal family (yes, Spain has retained one, but they have little to no political authority) resides in the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela, & the Palacio Real is a palace-museum of sorts. Unfortunately, I was extremely exhaused from a late night & couldn't really appreciate it. So that's another site I might try to drag my mom & aunt to. Yet another site where pictures inside were not allowed, but a simple google image search reveals how lavish each of its 50 rooms open to the public are for sure.
Again, I should be posting two seperate posts with my hilights at both the Prado & Reina Sofia really soon!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Toledo!
We went on a day trip to Toledo, which another small city (about 80,000) an hour or so outside of Madrid. It's known as an important cultural site in Spain, because of its golden age with a shared history of La Convivencia- Christian, Jewish, and Muslim peoples living among one another- during the age of Arab rule. There was a large volume of cultural exchange, especially with translation of important texts between Arabic, Latin, Hebrew & Spanish. However, this religious tolerance came to an end with the Inquisition's expulsion of the Jews, and later, Muslims. Today, there are numerous historic sites which are still standing from the period before the Inquisition & a beautiful medieval Spanish city remains.
It was quite sunny when we visited, hence why some of these pictures have so much contrast. Life is hard in Spain sometimes.
The medieval bridge connecting the eastern and western parts of the city.
Of course, as someone who's Jewish, I was especially excited to visit the Sinagoga del Tránsito , a private synagogue from the 14th century. Technically, the king of Castile granted special permission considering constructing new synagogues was forbidden at the time. La Judería (Jewish quarter) allegedly once included almost a dozen synagogues. Today, however, there is only this synagogue as well as the Santa María la Blanca, which we did not have time to see, but is extremely unique in the sense that it was designed by a Islamic archeitect under a Christian King. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a trip back to Toledo to see it after PRESHCO ends and I have a few days in Madrid.
The Sinagoga del Tránsito was converted into a church several post-Inquisition centuries later, though today it serves as a museum of Sephardic culture (the Jewish people of Iberian origin) and the interior reflects its original use. The celing & other ornaments are a strong example of the Mudéjar style (Muslims who remained in Spain after the Inquisition & did not convert.) With the Hebrew inscription above, I thought there was a perfect example of Toledo's history of multiple faiths together.
What would have served as the Torah ark while it functioned as a synagogue.
Most of the original tiled floor has yet to be excavated, although a portion is visible for curious visitors. Considering its age of 750+ years, it was nice to see the original design, even if a lot of the color had been worn away. As with the Nueva Cathedral in Salamanca, several graves have been found underneath.
Details of the ark & walls. I thought the lion imagery with Hebrew inscriptions was another example of multiple faiths crossing paths.
Since it was impossible to take a decent picture of the celing (the archeitecture does defy artistic "rules" of the era that the celing & other dimensions be smaller & lower compared to churches....), I have a picture of the model which visitors can use to truly appreciate its proportions & artistic design.
The Sephardic museum takes the place of the entering "wings" of the synagogue on each side, as well as the upper balcony section which served as the women's section. It includes information about the history and culture of Sephardic Jews as well as numerous artifacts. The mohel chair, tefillin, menorahs & Torah I have pictures of below are all from the 17th-19th centuries.
Part of the excavated wall portions of the women's section/balcony.
Traditional Sephardic Jewish wedding garb from the 18th-19th century.
The Sephardic Museum had several older artifacts as well. These ritual jugs, bracelets & decorations are from as early as the 6th century.
Excavated pieces of the patio showing fragments of inscriptions written in Arabic. Yet another example of intercultural exchange & contribution.
After the synagogue & museum, we went to the Santo Tomé cathedral to see El Greco's The Burial of the Count of Orgaz there. While I can certainly see why individuals flocked from all over to see the painting after it was completed in the 1580's & I was happy to get the privilege to see it for free considering how jacked up the price of admission is, it was dissapointing to not be able to get very close to it & the church was much smaller/simpler than I expected such a famous work would be comissioned for.
El Greco ("The Greek" in Spanish) had arrived in Spain ten years earlier from Italy (likely encouraged by Spanish Church officials he met in Rome) & had trained as an icon painter in his native Crete and (perhaps) in Titian's studio as well. He wanted to be a court painter but King Phillip II apparently wasn't a fan of his work. Meanwhile, the Orgaz family commissioned him to paint a large altarpiece honoring their ancestor who had been a great benefactor of the Church- & at his 1523 funeral it was said Saint Augustine & Saint Stephen appeared to lower his body into his tomb as his soul was seen ascending to heaven. The local aristocracy & religious nobles are included in the scene along with El Greco himself & his 8-year old son. It has a distinguished mannerist style with lack of space,yet heaven is still distinct from earth with elongation of the heavenly figures & light from Christ/heaven.
Even with his training, there is little to no Italian influence. Perhaps this isn't surprising, considering he believed many artists relied excessively on ancient art & the quest for perfect proportion. The colors, brushwork & expressions reflect the religious revival in Spain at the time of Ignatius of Loyola, Saint John of the Cross & Saint Teresa of Ávila.
There are several cathedrals in Toledo, including the appropriately named Cathedral of Toledo, which also served as the city's central mosque during Muslim rule. It was largely destroyed by fire in 1085 and construction of the cathedral visible today started in the 13th century.
Unfortunately, another site where pictures aren't permitted. Although I was also admitely quite dehydrated & didn't really get to enjoy it/wouldn't have been in the mood to take a bunch of nice pictures, anyway. The skyline was extremely pretty, though, with its appearence that the altar was rising upward to the heavens. Another visitor decided to take a picture of it on the sly, though & posted it on flickr here
The chapel had original paintings by El Greco, Van Dyck, Raphael & others. Including El Greco's The Disrobing of Christ which includes the colors, figures & intense emotional expressions very typical of his work. Fun fact: he was dragged through court over this painting due to being underpaid for it as well as for including several figures the comissioner didn't agree to. Oh noes!
I would highly recommend Toledo as a day trip for anyone visiting Spain, especially Madrid/central Spain, considering how easy it is to get to by bus. It really is a city-size museum of sorts, documenting its history of all three Abrahamic faiths. Not to mention how almost everything is easily accessible on foot!
It was quite sunny when we visited, hence why some of these pictures have so much contrast. Life is hard in Spain sometimes.
The medieval bridge connecting the eastern and western parts of the city.
Of course, as someone who's Jewish, I was especially excited to visit the Sinagoga del Tránsito , a private synagogue from the 14th century. Technically, the king of Castile granted special permission considering constructing new synagogues was forbidden at the time. La Judería (Jewish quarter) allegedly once included almost a dozen synagogues. Today, however, there is only this synagogue as well as the Santa María la Blanca, which we did not have time to see, but is extremely unique in the sense that it was designed by a Islamic archeitect under a Christian King. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a trip back to Toledo to see it after PRESHCO ends and I have a few days in Madrid.
The Sinagoga del Tránsito was converted into a church several post-Inquisition centuries later, though today it serves as a museum of Sephardic culture (the Jewish people of Iberian origin) and the interior reflects its original use. The celing & other ornaments are a strong example of the Mudéjar style (Muslims who remained in Spain after the Inquisition & did not convert.) With the Hebrew inscription above, I thought there was a perfect example of Toledo's history of multiple faiths together.
What would have served as the Torah ark while it functioned as a synagogue.
Most of the original tiled floor has yet to be excavated, although a portion is visible for curious visitors. Considering its age of 750+ years, it was nice to see the original design, even if a lot of the color had been worn away. As with the Nueva Cathedral in Salamanca, several graves have been found underneath.
Details of the ark & walls. I thought the lion imagery with Hebrew inscriptions was another example of multiple faiths crossing paths.
Since it was impossible to take a decent picture of the celing (the archeitecture does defy artistic "rules" of the era that the celing & other dimensions be smaller & lower compared to churches....), I have a picture of the model which visitors can use to truly appreciate its proportions & artistic design.
The Sephardic museum takes the place of the entering "wings" of the synagogue on each side, as well as the upper balcony section which served as the women's section. It includes information about the history and culture of Sephardic Jews as well as numerous artifacts. The mohel chair, tefillin, menorahs & Torah I have pictures of below are all from the 17th-19th centuries.
Part of the excavated wall portions of the women's section/balcony.
Traditional Sephardic Jewish wedding garb from the 18th-19th century.
The Sephardic Museum had several older artifacts as well. These ritual jugs, bracelets & decorations are from as early as the 6th century.
Excavated pieces of the patio showing fragments of inscriptions written in Arabic. Yet another example of intercultural exchange & contribution.
After the synagogue & museum, we went to the Santo Tomé cathedral to see El Greco's The Burial of the Count of Orgaz there. While I can certainly see why individuals flocked from all over to see the painting after it was completed in the 1580's & I was happy to get the privilege to see it for free considering how jacked up the price of admission is, it was dissapointing to not be able to get very close to it & the church was much smaller/simpler than I expected such a famous work would be comissioned for.
El Greco ("The Greek" in Spanish) had arrived in Spain ten years earlier from Italy (likely encouraged by Spanish Church officials he met in Rome) & had trained as an icon painter in his native Crete and (perhaps) in Titian's studio as well. He wanted to be a court painter but King Phillip II apparently wasn't a fan of his work. Meanwhile, the Orgaz family commissioned him to paint a large altarpiece honoring their ancestor who had been a great benefactor of the Church- & at his 1523 funeral it was said Saint Augustine & Saint Stephen appeared to lower his body into his tomb as his soul was seen ascending to heaven. The local aristocracy & religious nobles are included in the scene along with El Greco himself & his 8-year old son. It has a distinguished mannerist style with lack of space,yet heaven is still distinct from earth with elongation of the heavenly figures & light from Christ/heaven.
Even with his training, there is little to no Italian influence. Perhaps this isn't surprising, considering he believed many artists relied excessively on ancient art & the quest for perfect proportion. The colors, brushwork & expressions reflect the religious revival in Spain at the time of Ignatius of Loyola, Saint John of the Cross & Saint Teresa of Ávila.
There are several cathedrals in Toledo, including the appropriately named Cathedral of Toledo, which also served as the city's central mosque during Muslim rule. It was largely destroyed by fire in 1085 and construction of the cathedral visible today started in the 13th century.
Unfortunately, another site where pictures aren't permitted. Although I was also admitely quite dehydrated & didn't really get to enjoy it/wouldn't have been in the mood to take a bunch of nice pictures, anyway. The skyline was extremely pretty, though, with its appearence that the altar was rising upward to the heavens. Another visitor decided to take a picture of it on the sly, though & posted it on flickr here
The chapel had original paintings by El Greco, Van Dyck, Raphael & others. Including El Greco's The Disrobing of Christ which includes the colors, figures & intense emotional expressions very typical of his work. Fun fact: he was dragged through court over this painting due to being underpaid for it as well as for including several figures the comissioner didn't agree to. Oh noes!
I would highly recommend Toledo as a day trip for anyone visiting Spain, especially Madrid/central Spain, considering how easy it is to get to by bus. It really is a city-size museum of sorts, documenting its history of all three Abrahamic faiths. Not to mention how almost everything is easily accessible on foot!
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