Spain’s Witchcraft Legacy

Did You Know... 

Spain has a lot to do with the perceptions and fears that continue today about witches and their crafts?

Yes, indeed it is true!

In 1610, the infamous "Quema de brujas en Logroño" (Burning of the Witches in Logroño) witch trials took place, and a local printer, Juan de Mongastón, published a pamphlet chronicling the events. This document detailed the trial and condemnation of 53 people accused of witchcraft, along with five skeletons and five effigies, creating a vivid picture of witchcraft and its supposed dangers.

THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF GOYA'S MISSING SKULL

THE ENIGMA

Dionisio Fierros (1827-1894) was a Spanish Romantic painter who painted a “Vanitas”, an allegorical still life, for the Marquis of San Adrián of Navarre in 1849. 

It was not a very robust work of art, especially in an era of great romanticism and drama. 

It was a traditional "vanitas" with a skull, which was the most common symbol of the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. It was a human skull, depicted in a three-quarter view, and it had no jaw. It rested on a green carpet. The skull had many dental defects. The colour used was a roasted yellow. 

It would have been a rather boring 44 x 37 cm oil painting on canvas if it had not had three words written in sepia ink on the back of the wooden frame: "Skull of Goya".

Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas (KarlaDarocas.com) (c) SpainLifestyle.com

The Conquest of Huesca" by Ulpiano Checa

This painting is quite large; unfortunately, I couldn't ascertain its exact dimensions. However, it proudly hangs high above the central courtyard of the Museum in Siguenza. You can view it directly from the second-floor gallery.

It depicts the Battle of Alcoraz, an armed encounter that took place on November 15, 1096, near Huesca, involving Aragonese and Pamplona troops on one side and Muslim troops from Zaragoza supported by Castilian forces on the other.

Museum of Antique Religious Art of Sigüenza-Guadalajara’s Diocese

The Museum of Antique Religious Art of Sigüenza-Guadalajara’s Diocese is located in a 16th-century neoclassical small palace known as "The Barrena's Old House," which belonged to the Gamboa family for four hundred years until 1923. (In the last century, it served as a hotel, a neighbor's house, and a branch of a bank.) 

Don Lorenzo Bericiartúa Valerdi, while serving as bishop of this diocese, purchased the building in 1956 with the intention of converting it into the Diocese's Museum. However, it was his successor, Don Laureano Castán Lacoma, supported by the nuncio Luigi Dadaglio, who officially inaugurated it on May 11th, 1968. Initially, the exhibition only occupied the ground floor of the building, but in 1972, it was extended to include the first floor. Currently, the museum occupies the entire building.

THE MAJESTIC 'VIRGIN OF THE CARTHUSIANS' BY FRANCISCO DE ZURBARÁN

I had to sit down to take in the full size of this huge painting of the Virgin of the Carthusians or the Virgin of the Caves or the Virgin of Mercy, 1655, by Francisco de Zurbarán, as it measures approximately 217 x 161 centimeters (or about 85.4 x 63.4 inches) in size.

ZURBARÁN'S FEMALE SAINTS: AWE-INSPIRING MASTERPIECES

I finally got to meet these beautiful ladies of Francisco de Zurbarán up close. It was amazing to get the opportunity to really appreciate the intricacies of these masterpieces. The meticulous rendering of fabrics decorated with intricate patterns and textures adds to the overall richness of the compositions and demonstrates Zurbarán's exceptional ability to capture minute details and textures.

WATCH * 3D ANIMATION OF GALATEA OF THE SPHERES * A DALI PORTRAIT

"Galatea of the Spheres"," painted by the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí in 1952, is a remarkable testimony to Dalí's unmistakable artistic style and his enthusiasm for the realms of science and mysticism. This masterpiece encompasses various facets that illuminate the complexity of Dalí's vision:

WATCH * UN CHIEN ANDALOU * SALVADOR DALI'S FIRST FILM

In 1929, Salvador Dalí (1904 - 1989) collaborated in Paris with the Spanish film director and fellow student Luis Buñuel (1900 - 1983) on a film project that was so peculiar that it achieved legendary status. It was the first deliberate attempt to shock the audience.

WATCH DESTINO * SENSATIONAL SURREALIST MAGIC

Destino was an animated short film that resulted from a collaboration between Walt Disney and the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. The music, composed by Mexican songwriter Armando Domínguez and performed by Mexican singer Dora Luz, accompanied the captivating images.

SEVILLE'S ARTISTIC TREASURES: PEDRO DE MENA'S MASTERPIECES

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, where I saw three exquisite wooden masterpieces by my favourite 17th century artist and sculptor, Pedro de Mena y Medrano. This Spanish Baroque sculptor, who was born in Granada in August 1628 and died in Málaga on 13 October 1688, had a profound impact on the world of art.