El Greco to Velazquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III September 11, 2008

The show will position the works of two of the world's greatest painters - El Greco and Velazquez - within the context of the art of their time, the dawn of the Golden Age in Spain. The American public will encounter for the first time exceptional works by lesser known but accomplished artists who knew them and worked alongside them, including Juan Bautista Maino, Juan Sanchez Cotan, Luis Tristan and Gregorio Fernandez. More than 100 paintings, sculptures and decorative arts will be on view, including seven works by El Greco, three by Velazquez, two by Jusepe de Ribera and one large work by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, painted during his 1603 diplomatic mission to Spain. Important loans will come from museums in Spain and five other countries; some works are traveling for the first time.