The arts in Spain

by John F. Moffitt

From prehistory to postmodernism, the arts in Spain have occupied a central role in the development of Western art. In this wide-ranging and incisive overview, John F. Moffitt traces the history of painting, sculpture, the decorative arts and architecture. He investigates Iberian and Roman beginnings and examines the splendor of the Islamic and Christian foundations of Cordoba and the Escorial, before concentrating on the masterworks of El Greco, the Golden Age of Zurbaran and Velazquez, and the multi-faceted art of Goya. After discussing the brilliant innovations of Picasso, Dali and Miro, Professor Moffitt considers the most recent developments in Spanish art. Authoritative and ambitious in its chronological span, the book encompasses the enormous breadth of the Spanish artistic panorama, revealing that many of its most characteristic modern traits had their inception in earliest times.