Lecture | 2014 Duldig Lecture – Matthew Martin on Spanish Sculpture | NGV International

Blood and Tears: Seventeenth-century Spanish sculpture

Dr Matthew Martin, Curator, Decorative Arts & Antiquities at the NGV

 Guido Reni Italian 1575–1642 Saint Sebastian (San Sebastiano) 1615–20 oil on canvas 170.5 x 133.0 cm Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid (P00211) Spanish Royal Collection

Guido Reni Italian 1575–1642 Saint Sebastian (San Sebastiano) 1615–20 oil on canvas 170.5 x 133.0 cm Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid (P00211) Spanish Royal Collection

The Counter-reformation saw the rise of a new, more intense kind of realism in seventeenth-century Spanish art. Painters and sculptors sought to create images of Christ, the Virgin, and saints which were as lifelike and accessible as possible. This realism was starkly austere, emotionally gripping, and even gory, intended to shock the senses and stir the soul. While the painters of this period, like Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán, are ranked amongst the great masters of European art, the sculptors who were their contemporaries are largely unknown outside Spain. This lecture will explore the place of these artists and the masterpieces they created in art history.

Join us for this annual lecture on sculpture jointly presented with The Duldig Studio.

Free, no bookings required. More information here.

Date: Saturday 19th July, 2pm.

Venue: NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Ground Level, Clemenger BBDO Auditorium.