Isabelline Culture, Art, and Society in Spain

Isabelline Culture and its Features

Key aspects of Isabelline culture:

• Public education was promoted through the Moyano Law of 1857. These measures primarily affected the middle classes and urban areas. However, illiteracy remained widespread among the urban popular classes and rural areas.
• The development of the press influenced public opinion and cultural centers.
• Museums multiplied, including the Museo del Prado (1819, formerly the Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture), the Archaeological Museum (1867), and the Ateneo de Madrid (1829).

Literature

• Romanticism: Notable authors include the Duke of Rivas, Zorrilla, Espronceda, Bécquer, and Rosalía de Castro.
• Realism: Represented by Benito Pérez Galdós and Leopoldo Alas, "Clarín".
• Naturalism: Emilia Pardo Bazán.
• Costumbrismo: A minor form of realism that reflected the customs and daily life of the period, with authors like Ramón de Mesonero Romanos and Larra.

Artistic Manifestations: Francisco de Goya

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes was the foremost painter of the second half of the eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century. Born in Fuendetodos in 1746, he died in Bordeaux in 1828.

• From 1774 to 1792, he painted tapestry cartoons, such as "The Blind Chicken" and "The Parasol".
• He also worked as a portrait painter and, in 1789, became a painter to Charles IV.

During the War of Independence and part of the reign of Fernando VII, he began a new artistic period, creating works like "The Second of May" and "The Executions of Moncloa." Later, he decorated the walls of his house with his "Black Paintings." In his final years (1824-1828), he was exiled to France due to his pro-French ideas, where he painted portraits that foreshadowed Romanticism, such as "The Milkmaid of Bordeaux." Significant examples of his work include "The Blind Man's Buff," "The Family of Charles IV," "The Executions of Moncloa," and "The Witches' Sabbath."

Romanticism

• Architecture: Romantic architecture leaned towards historicism, exemplified by the Congress of Deputies in Madrid and the Liceu in Barcelona. Civil architecture saw great development (markets, municipalities, banks, exchanges, theaters, museums), while religious buildings were less prominent. The new iron and glass architecture was linked to the development of the Industrial Revolution, such as the Atocha Station (1851).
• Sculpture: The most prominent genres were portraiture and urban monuments in parks and gardens.
• Painting: Featured traditionalist themes, landscapes, and portraits.

Realistic Painting

Realistic painting, known as historical realism, was cultivated through history painting.