The article reviews the exhibition 'Zurbarán' at the National Gallery in London, arguing that the show fails to capture the spiritual intensity and emotional power of the Spanish Baroque painter's work. It criticizes the curatorial choices, suggesting the display feels flat and lacks the ecstatic religious fervor that defines Zurbarán's best paintings, leaving viewers with a sense of agony rather than transcendence.
The Hispanic Society Museum and Library's traveling exhibition, "Spirit & Splendour: El Greco, Velázquez and the Hispanic Baroque," has reached its final stop at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas. The show features 57 works from the Hispanic Society's permanent collection, including all three of its Diego Velázquez paintings, and runs from August 24. The Blanton iteration adds key pieces from its own collection, such as El Greco's 1570s Pietà and a sculpture by Luisa Roldán, to contextualize the Spanish and Latin American masterpieces.
The article reviews a major exhibition of 17th-century Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán, highlighting his dramatic religious works such as a stark crucifixion, a depiction of St. Peter crucified upside down, and a series of saintly princesses. It notes the exhibition's effective hanging, the artist's use of vivid color and theatrical lighting, and includes recently attributed works like a mysterious giant head. The review emphasizes the blend of high drama, emotion, and Catholic piety in Zurbarán's paintings, as well as his still lifes that rival those of Velázquez.