De Arte. Revista de Historia del Arte

Efigies femeninas en relieve: identitas imperial y recepción de la Antigüedad a través de la colección Despuig

2025-09-04T09:21:48+00:00

Two medallions depicting female effigies are preserved in the collection of Cardinal Antoni Despuig, the interpretation of which remains uncertain to this day. This study examines the works from both a formal and conservation perspective. The analysis reveals a sophisticated sculptural practice underlying the development of the female portrait, shaped by the plurality of iconographic references associated with the antiquae feminae, as well as by the historical evolution of the reception and function of the female portrait within the visual culture of modern era. This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of the reception of ancient female portraiture, its iconography, and the sculptural practices of the late modern period.

Un exemple de dévotion à la Passion du Christ à la fin du Moyen Âge : Les « heures de la compassion » ou « heures de la miséricorde » dans le Livre d’Heures de Catherine de Clèves

2025-09-03T17:06:10+00:00

The Hours of Catherine of Cleves is an exceptional work of northern Netherlandish illumination. It is notable, among other things, for the presence of the weekly hours, which include offices and masses for each day and which are distinguished here by their illuminations for each canonical hour, a rare feature. Particularly noteworthy among these are the ‘hours of compassion’ dedicated to the weekly office on Friday, which exceptionally include miniatures and texts for the hour of Lauds. This iconographic cycle is deeply symbolic and theological, rooted in the medieval devotional tradition, particularly that of devotio moderna. This prominent devotion of the Duchess of Guelders to the Passion of Christ and the Holy Cross is well documented and reflects a family tradition in which her horae are inscribed. The cycle of the ‘hours of compassion’ provides a better understanding of how this particular book of hours helped to promote interior meditation, bringing together images and texts to encourage prayer and conversion in the owner of these horae.

The towers of the cathedral of Oviedo: an approach through the analysis of the travels of late gothic architects

2025-06-18T07:20:25+00:00

Travel was a fundamental means of disseminating architectural novelties in the late Gothic period in Spain. The study of these journeys can help us in the attribution of works of uncertain authorship. In this article we focus on the confluences of masters towards an outstanding artistic centre, delving into the meeting that was convened in 1500 for the remodelling of the façade of Oviedo Cathedral. We analyse the professional beginnings of the architects who took part in it (Bartolomé de Solórzano and Juan de Badajoz), highlighting their contacts with the main contemporary artistic centres. Taking into account the most frequent architectural elements in their works, we have clarified which parts of the portico of Oviedo belong to each of them. We therefore attribute the southern section to Solórzano and the northern one to Badajoz.

A guadamecí dedicated to Cleopatra in the Palace of Viana in Córdoba

2025-04-14T12:03:45+00:00

The present work studies a guadamecí painted with the theme “The Funeral of Cleopatra to Marco Antonio”, preserved in the Viana Palace in Cordoba. Its origin is linked to the styles of italian Quattrocento painting and its importance lies mainly in the fact that it is one of the oldest preserved specimens in Spain and the only one of its size, althoug it is in a rather pitiful state of conservation. It is also the only representation where Cleopatra venerates Mark Antony with an attitude much closer to Christianith tan to the religión and Ptolemaic traditions of the 2nd century BC.

Patronage, clientele and artistic management in Cordova during the 16th Century. An exercise in cultural enrichment and patronage in the painting

2025-07-26T10:24:01+00:00

Artistic patronage and creation processes in the Cordovan society during the 16th Century highlight the impact of Italian humanist aesthetic models on its main plastic manifestations, mainly those with religious themes. This circumstance marked the development of art in the city and enriched the contents of its traditional iconographic programs, especially the pictorial ones. In this work we will address the phenomenon of patronage in Cordova from 1500, taking into account some aspects relating to painters and their patrons, the works and finally to topics mainly in demand.

Meaning and function of the severed heads of saints in Sevillian baroque painting

2025-07-29T08:33:32+00:00

Since classical antiquity, the representation of severed heads has had a special importance due to its courageous, honorific and ritual significance. A tradition that, in a similar way, came to embrace doctrinal questions, impregnated with the sentiment that they showed as religious, persuasive and theoretical elements; a catechism of instruction for the faithful. Thus, the devotee was offered an object to obtain calm, the forgiveness of sins and the benefit of facing death on its arrival. In this work we aim to underline the resurgence of this iconography, its identifying elements within the Sevillian school of painting and its success in the complex context of the Baroque. Its characteristics reveal a knowledge that goes beyond questions of fashion, with visual elements that recycle already known patterns. Classical symbology survives.

Convent of São José and Santa Teresa (Porto, Portugal)

2025-09-11T12:37:22+00:00

The study of the Carmelite quarter (Porto) has focused on the analysis of its architecture as the result of a particular artistic culture, resulting from the area transformation in the 19th century. However, the role of the Convent of St Joseph and St Teresa in the urbanisation of the area has been overlooked. The aim of this paper is therefore to understand the Carmelite convent lifetime, its influence in the urban evolution and the process of Portuguese secularisation of religious buildings, also considering the various post-nationalisation adaptations of the convent and the planned construction. The research is founded on the analysis of written and iconographic sources, which are then compared with the bibliography on the object of study and the city's urban development. This contributes to an integrated view of its changes between 1702 and 1882, understanding it as the result of a particular context.

Decorative strategies in francoist cultural architecture. The Teatro Real as a Scenic and Ideological Space

2025-07-02T10:16:45+00:00

When Madrid's Teatro Real reopened its doors on October 13, 1966, after four decades of closure, it had a completely renovated appearance. The common areas were decorated not only with pre-existing works from various museums and public institutions but also with four large-scale pieces specially commissioned from prominent Spanish artists: Juan Antonio Morales, Joaquín Vaquero Palacios, Joaquín Vaquero Turcios, and Carlos Pascual de Lara. Some previously unpublished images discovered during our research not only allow us to analyze these interventions individually but also to gain a deeper understanding of the overall concept of the decorative project.

The Cretto de Burri as a stage between dance and memory

2025-04-09T17:34:51+00:00

Starting with Alberto Burri's land art work in Gibellina, this article investigates the intersection between site-specific contemporary dance and the symbolic significance of the Cretto. Originally conceived as a memorial to crystallize the historical memory of the Belice earthquake in stone, Burri's work has transcended its initial purpose, evolving into an extraordinary stage for performing arts. Through the practice of site-specific dance, artists have reimagined this space, transforming it into a place of resilience and renewal. This transformation not only offers a tool for processing collective trauma but also redefines the role of public art as an active participant in the dialogue between personal experience and collective memory. The article contributes to the scholarly discussion by examining how the interplay of movement, space, and memory reshapes the symbolic identity of the Cretto, proposing it as a paradigm for the dynamic interaction between art, community, and historical narrative.

The patrimonial protection of historic urban ensembles in Aragón during Franco’s regime: the case of Uncastillo, Zaragoza

2025-07-21T17:12:44+00:00

The protection of Spain's historic centres experienced a notable boost in the 1960s, largely thanks to their declaration as historic-artistic sites. In the context of Franco's desarrollismo, posed a serious threat to the preservation of the national artistic heritage, this designation not only helped promote major intervention campaigns in historic architecture but also encouraged the development of cultural tourism. Uncastillo (Zaragoza), as a relevant case of study, is a significant example of the impact these declarations had in rural areas.

Senra Gabriel y Galán, José Luis y Laura Rodríguez Peinado (eds.). Homo viator. Expresiones artísticas e itinerarios de ida y vuelta. Gijón: Trea, 2024.

2025-12-15T10:59:29+00:00

Laborde Marqueze, Ana (coord.). La Restauración del Pórtico de la Gloria. Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. Documentación, estudios y Conservación. Madrid: Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte, 2021.

2024-10-29T08:22:31+00:00

Calleja-Puerta, Miguel (autor principal); Álvarez Castrillón, José Antonio (colaborador), Fernández Ortiz, Guillermo (col.); Ledesma, Antonio (col.), Murcia Nicolás, Fuensanta (col.); Ruiz de la Peña González, Isabel (col.); Sanz Fuentes, María Josefa (col.), El monasterio de San Salvador de Cornellana en la Edad Media (1024-1536). Fundación regia, abadía cluniacense, encomienda nobiliaria. Gijón: Trea y Fundación Valdés Salas, 2024, 253 páginas, 25 figuras, acompañado por un anexo de Calleja-Puerta, Miguel, El monasterio de San Salvador de Cornellana en la Edad Media (1024-1536). Cinco siglos en cinco pergaminos, Gijón: Trea y Fundación Valdés Salas, 2024.

2025-12-01T11:25:02+00:00

Romero Medina, Raúl. La fábrica de las casas del infantado en Guadalajara (1376- 1512). Los usos y las funciones artísticas de la temprana Edad Moderna en España. Guadalajara: Excma. Diputación Provincial, 2024.

2025-11-24T08:12:31+00:00

Santos Márquez, Antonio Joaquín. El altar de plata de la catedral de Sevilla. Sevilla: Diputación de Sevilla, 2023.

2025-05-15T18:29:05+00:00

Roca Cabrera, María. Fortuny. Edad de oro del coleccionismo textil. Valencia: Tirant Humanidades, 2024.

2025-02-22T13:03:55+00:00

Recensión del libro

Salas Mirat, Carlos. Gaudí, un genio precursor de la sostenibilidad y biomimética arquitectónica con un siglo de antelación. Madrid. Editorial Aula Magna, 2023.

2024-10-15T21:59:35+00:00

Del Canto Mínguez, Irene. Imágenes fuera de sí. La imagen reflejada: el arte a través del espejo. León: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de León, 2025.

2025-12-15T10:57:03+00:00

Cabrera García, María Isabel; Martín López, David y Miguel Ángel Espinosa Villegas (eds.). Patrimonio, cultura artística y poderes autoritarios en Europa. Una lectura desde el presente. Sevilla: Universidad de Sevilla, 2024.

2025-12-01T11:39:35+00:00