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About ARTES (Iberian and Latin American Visual Culture Group)
By Susan Wilson, ARTES Chair

ARTES is a group, based in the UK and Ireland and with strong international links, dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of Iberian and Latin American art and culture. We organise visits for all our members to see exhibitions, from "Pintura de Los Reinos" a survey exhibition of post Columbian painting in Latin America last year in the Prado Museum, Madrid to a recent visit to Bonhams to view the newly discovered painting thought to be by Velasquez which was found in an attic in Whitstable. Such visits are an essential part of ARTES’ identity and provide an invaluable chance to discuss works and exchange views with our members.

This March, Professor Nigel Glendinning our Honorary Chair and distinguished Goya scholar gave a fascinating talk in front of the equestrian portrait of The Duke of Wellington by Goya at Apsley House. He described the execution and history of the painting, how it was a reused canvas and the reasons for its relatively poor state having been rolled up and stored at Stratfield Saye. The painting was made at Real Academia de San Fernando, in Madrid in the September following the Duke’s victories in the Peninsular War at Salamanca and Vitoria. A lovely description was given of the Duke in a plain grey coat slipping in quietly to mass at Salamanca whilst the Spanish military turned out in full uniform all awash with braid and sash.

Over the years we have made some outstanding visits, for example the intense discussion of Dali's early Cadaques paintings exhibited at Tate Modern led by Juliet Wilson-Bareau and David McGrath.  Or the account by Dawson Carr (National Gallery London, curator of Velasquez exhibition) of acute comments made to him by the gallery going public as they viewed the Velasquez exhibition. For me it is the generosity of the members and their willingness to talk about works that has impressed after many years of attending events. In this way works become richer and more complex.  Long may these debates continue. Historically there has been and I am sure there will will remain room for disagreement over works and this makes ARTES much stronger as a group in that debate is valued.

Each year we send Hispanic Research Journal (HRJ) to our members. Xanthe Brooke, Senior Curator at The Walker Art Gallery on Merseyside compiles and edits Informartes, containing reviews and listings of all upcoming Hispanic and Latin American exhibitions. This sent out around New Year.

HRJ contains recent research papers from leading academics on such subjects as "Celebrating Sainthood, Government and Seville: The Fiestas for the Canonization of King Ferdinand III " Rosemarie Mulcahy (Vol II, No 5 Dec 2010) and  "Art, Identity and the Construction of the Church of Santo Domingo in Quito" by Susan Verdi Webster (vol 10 No 5 Dec 2009).

In this year's HRJ, "With the Most Diligence Possible": Francisco de Zurbaran and the Overseas Art Trade in the Seventeenth Century" by the late Lori Kata provides a vivid description of the transport of Zurbaran's works to Lima. Kata puts forward the idea that they may have been damaged by salt water during transport as they were kept on deck on flat-bottomed boats which plied the seas south from Panama to Lima. Perhaps as Kata suggests they were entirely by Zurbaran and not from his workshop, but required retouching on arrival.  She quotes Rubens, advice after hearing the paint surface of his pictures, travelling across the Mediterranean in 1603 from Alicante, had swollen and flaked in transit: "The only remedy is to scrape them off with a knife and lay them on anew." (Magurn 1955;32) 

ARTES supports conferences and study days. This January a conference will be held at The Courtauld Institute as part of the current exhibition "The Spanish Line", curated by Dr Zahira Veliz; and eminent scholars will give papers on aspects of Spanish drawings, their function, history and practice. A catalogue raisonne compiled by Dr Veliz will be launched at The Spanish Embassy on January 14th this year. This underlines our relationship with the Instituto Cervantes who generously support ARTES by helping to fund Informartes and hosting our annual ARTES lecture. This year’s lecture will be given by Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Deputy Director of the Prado Museum on March 29th at The Instituto Cervantes.

Return to the Journal of the Month: Hispanic Research Journal web page