Bourbon Reforms and the Rise of Neoclassicism in Spain

Trade Reforms

• Internal trade: Benefited from progress in transport.
• Trade with America: [Ongoing developments].

Social Reforms

The stratified society criticized the Old Regime:

• The nobility: Wealth and privilege were enjoyed without playing socially useful functions. Measures were adapted, such as the creation of institutions for practical training and the elimination of legal incompatibility with work.
• The clergy: Criticized for their high numbers, lack of training, and great ideological influence. The Bourbons gained the right to propose ecclesiastical charges and expelled the Jesuits for their opposition to enlightened reforms, their influence on teaching, and their obedience to the Pope.
• The bourgeoisie: Benefited from decrees that considered all professions honorable.

Artistic Developments

The roots of Baroque art remained, while Neoclassicism took time to be implanted due to being underdeveloped initially.

The Rococo Style

Architectural decoration was applied to some rooms of the Royal Palace in Madrid and the Palace of La Granja in Segovia.

In sculpture, Salzillo is notable for his clay figures, and in painting, the work of Luis Paret y Alcázar, who painted The Antique Shop.

The Diffusion of Neoclassicism

Neoclassical art saw wider dissemination due to the arrival of foreign artists and the foundation of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 1744. It was divided into four sections: architecture, sculpture, painting, and printmaking. The academy was led by prominent Neoclassical artists such as Raphael Mengs. They received important concessions: they were excluded from military service, could achieve nobility, and were awarded scholarships to study abroad in Italy.

• In architecture: Notable works include the Royal Palace in Madrid, the Alcalá Gate by Sabatini, and the Prado Museum and Astronomical Observatory by Juan de Villanueva.
• In sculpture: Fountains such as the Cibeles in Madrid were created.
• In painting: The leading figure was the German Raphael Mengs, who decorated the ceilings of several rooms in the Royal Palace.

Culture and Art

Culture

In many cities, "Economic Societies of Friends of the Country" were created to support education and the spread of enlightened ideas. Additionally, the School of Surgery of Cádiz and the Royal Academy of Belles-Lettres of Seville were founded.

Artistic Centers

There were two major artistic foci: Seville and Granada.

• In architecture: In Seville, Leonardo de Figueroa stands out as the author of the facade of the Colegio de San Telmo. In Granada, Francisco Hurtado Izquierdo worked on the monastery.
• In sculpture: Torcuato Ruiz del Peral is the author of the pulpit and choir stalls of the Cathedral of Guadix and the image of Saint Mary of the Alhambra.
• In painting: Antonio Palomino Velasco is prominent, particularly for his frescoes in the sacristy of the Cartuja de Granada.