This well-illustrated book examines international painting in Spain - in historical context from the reign of the Habsburg King Philip II to the death of Goya. It goes beyond the existing studies of Golden Age painting to cover political, social, and religious contexts and art by non-Spanish masters working for the Habsburgs and Bourbons. Shows that painters working in Spain created an art of extraordinary stature - woven into the international world of Mannerism, the Baroque, and the Rococo. Goes beyond consideration of the well-known masters of Golden Age painting - e.g.'s Velazquez and Murillo - to consider the wide variety of painters, Spanish, Italian and Flemish, who influenced painting in Spain. For those involved in art education or simply interested in art history.
The text is better than the way in which the paintings are displayed. There's too many amazing paintings that are shown in small detail here to dismiss, even if the rest is essentially flawless and it's a must to read if one is studying its contents.
Great overview of art from these periods! Im particularly fond of the way it describes and examines "painting in Spain" vs "Spanish painting". The brief political and social history provides good context for the artists and types of paintings that were popularized.