The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán
Overview
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May 2–July 27, 2025
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Baker/Rowland Galleries
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Free for Members
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Included with admission
Featuring works from the most significant collection of Hispanic art outside of Spain, The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán presents more than 50 paintings by renowned and influential Hispanic artists of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain established the first worldwide empire through exploration and colonial conquest, generating wealth that led to the flourishing of art and literature. This exhibition offers a glimpse into this era of artistic ambition and cultural complexity. The resulting artworks range from powerfully emotive paintings of saints and biblical scenes created in service of the Roman Catholic faith in Spain and its many colonies to starkly secular formal court portraits of influential, wealthy, and, in some cases, infamous figures.
This exhibition was organized by the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, with support from The Museum Box.
Selected artworks
Nicolás de Correa (Mexican, 1690–1700), The Wedding at Cana, 1696.
H 58.8 × W 75.5 × D 6 cm. Oil and mixed media on wood panel inlaid with mother-of-pearl (nácar). Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Fray Alonso López de Herrera (Spanish, active in Mexico, 1580–after 1640), The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, 1640.
H 52.7 × W 38.7 cm. Oil on copper. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Unknown Artist (Peru), Processional Painting (Shield): The Nativity (recto), ca. 1620–50.
H 87 × W 70 cm. Oil on copper, wrought iron, tin, gilding. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Diego Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660), Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, ca. 1625–26.
Oil on canvas. H 222 × W 137.8 cm. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) (Greek, 1541–1614), Holy Family, 1585.
H 142 × W 123 × D 9 cm. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Francisco de Zurbarán (Spanish, 1598–1664), Saint Lucy, ca. 1630.
H 206 × W 125 × D 7 cm. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Unknown Artist (Peru), Processional Painting (Shield): The Virgin and Child (verso), ca. 1620–50.
Oil on copper, wrought iron, tin, gilding. 87 × 70 cm. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Diego Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660), Portrait of a Little Girl, ca. 1638–42.
H 51.5 × W 41 cm (20¼ × 16⅛ in.). Oil on canvas. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) (Greek, 1541–1614), Saint Jerome, ca. 1600.
H 93.1 × W 78.5 × D 6.5 cm. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682), The Prodigal Son Among the Swine, 1656–65.
H 161.5 × W 104.5 cm. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Alonso Vázquez (Spanish, 1565–1608, active in Mexico from 1603), Saint Sebastian, ca. 1603–07.
H 130 × W 85 × D 3 cm. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
Luis de Morales (Spanish, 1510/11–1586), Christ Presented to the People (Ecce Homo), ca. 1565–70.
H 75 × W 57 cm. Oil on panel. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York
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Support
Leadership sponsors
Collectors’ Corner, Inc.
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
Supporting sponsors
Bob and Judy Scott
Wendy Sleight
Contributing sponsors
Jon and Colleen Bassindale
Anthony and Andrea Bryant
Media sponsor
The Milwaukee Art Museum extends its sincere thanks to the Visionaries.
Mark and Debbie Attanasio
Donna and Donald Baumgartner
Murph Burke
The Helmerich Trust
Kenneth and Alice Kayser
Joan Lubar and John Crouch
Joel and Caran Quadracci
Sue and Bud Selig
Jeff and Gail Yabuki
