No previous knowledge of Art History is required.

The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the history of Spanish art in the broader European context. In order to do so, we will focus on main periods in Spanish art history and on its most relevante names and works. Together with the historiographical approach, a basic introduction to some key theories on art will be provided. Furthermore, the course will provide the students with the basic skills that are required to analise and appreciate a work of art, as well as with the language and tools that are necessary in order to carry the study of an artwork.

1. Course presentation. 2. The origins of the Spanish nation around 1500. Spain and Europe. 3. The Renaissance: origins, characteristics and main European artists. Renaissance and Mannerism in Spain. El Greco. 4. The Baroque period: origins, characteristics and main European artists. Baroque art in Spain. Ribera, Zurbarán, Velázquez and Murillo. 5. The 18th century: Neoclassicism and Romanticism in Europa and Spain. Goya. 6. The origins of Modern Art. Spain in the 19th century. Sorolla. 7. The 20th century. The Avant-garde: cubism, abstract art and surrealism. Picasso, Gris, González, Dalí and Miró. Art and ideology in Spain. 8. The 20th century. Art after 1945: informalism, pop and conceptual art. Spain: arts and politics. Tàpies, Saura and Chillida.

The course includes both in-class sessions and visits to Madrid museums. The in-class sessions will consist on lectures, debates and the discussion of art works. The visits include the Museo del Prado, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and eventually some other museum or even a Madrid tour. This out-of-class sessions take place in Madrid, so students should make sure their previous class finishes at least 15 minutes before this one so they have enough time to make it there. It is also advisable not to enrol in other classes that start right after this one, as the visits may take a bit longer than usual in-class lessons.