Gothic churches, particularly in the south, are frequently crowned by Mudéjar artesonados, or wooden roofs. Their decoration is distinguished by the use of the elaborate geometrical configurations and stylizations associated with most Islamic art. The favorite materials of the Mudéjar builders were brick, plaster, and wood, which they employed with singular versatility. A pervasive element in Spanish architecture is the Mudéjar style, whose influence lasted well into the 18th cent. At Girona the aisles were suppressed altogether, so that the cathedral had one of the widest vaulted spans of medieval Europe. Catalan Gothic architecture, exemplified in the cathedrals at Barcelona and Palma de Majorca, made distinctive use of wide naves with two side aisles instead of the usual four they have heavy interior buttresses and lateral chapels. Outstanding examples include the cathedrals of Burgos, Toledo, and León, the last remarkable also for its stained glass. Castilian architecture was basically French-inspired, although a distinctly native taste can be felt in the proportions and more ornate decorative features. The Gothic Period: Architecture With the gradual unification of the Spanish kingdoms, there was increased prosperity and artistic activity during the Gothic period (13th–mid-16th cent.). The cathedral at Santiago de Compostela (11th–12th cent.) reveals striking analogies in both architecture and sculpture to Burgundian works. The Romanesque Period During the Romanesque period (11th–12th cent.) Christian Spain in general exhibited characteristics common to the Romanesque style of Europe, but with traces of Middle Eastern influence. The art and architecture of the Mozarabs (9th–11th cent.), combining Asturian and Moorish features, produced some of the most original and interesting European buildings of the time. In Santa Maria de Naranco (mid-9th cent.) is found one of the earliest uses of barrel vaulting in the Middle Ages. Characteristic of Asturian churches (9th cent.) is a basilican plan with square apses, rounded arches, and balustered windows. By 850 the Moors had conquered all Spain except the Asturias region. Other Moorish elements, such as multifoil and intersecting arches, influenced the Christian buildings of medieval Spain, as did the Moorish love of reiteration and multiplicity of small motifs in luxuriant flat ornament (exemplified in the Alhambra). This tendency to enframe space is reflected in the enclosed choirs of almost all Spanish cathedrals and collegiate churches. Moorish interiors, subdivided into isolated units, are cool and graceful and utilize intricate effects of light and shadow, as in the famous Court of the Lions in the Alhambra (Granada). In their palaces and mosques the Moors developed certain architectural features that have remained part of the Spanish tradition down to the present day. ![]() Moorish and Asturian Influences The full horseshoe arch introduced by the Moors (8th cent.) and extensively employed in the famous mosque at Córdoba (8th–10th cent.). Such Visigothic monuments as the Church of San Juan de Baños in the province of Palencia (AD 661) suggest a possible Middle Eastern influence in the use of a flattened horseshoe arch. Little remains of the works of the Visigothic period (6th–7th cent.), although crude classical motifs were used, especially in the decorative sculpture. Open to a wide variety of cultural influences, the art and architecture of Spain have had an unusual and exciting heritage.Įarly Works Aside from important prehistoric remains, including cave paintings at Altamira and at Cogul, near Lleida (see Paleolithic art), the earliest monuments date from the Roman occupation (3d cent. Spanish art and architecture, works of art and architecture produced in what is now the European country of Spain.
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