Basque Country
Archaeology. At a crossroads, the Basque Country played an early part in the spread of ideas, including cave art. The territory's first cave paintings adorn the Isturitz and Oxocelhaya caves (35,000 BC). A multitude of signs and drawings of horses mingle with engravings in the deep galleries. Excavations also attest to the presence of the Celts, who played a decisive role in local culture, and then the Romans, who failed to impose their domination.
Middle Ages. In the middle of the 12th century, the Basques founded the Kingdom of Navarre to guard against invasion. Numerous places of worship were built along the Camino de Santiago in Navarre. Bilbao's Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art houses 2,000 pieces dating from the 12th to the 20th century, as well as archaeological remains.
After a relatively discreet Romanesque period, art flourished in the late Gothic period.
In the 16th century, the Renaissance style developed in northern Spain. Its ornamental, or plateresque, tendency led to the Baroque, which imposed its codes until the mid-18th century. At the same time, an austere Baroque style emerged in portrait painting, reflecting the country's economic, social and religious tensions. It was characterized by solemn, almost theatrical poses against sober backgrounds.
Towards the modern era. Renowned for his bullfighting scenes, Ignacio Zuloaga (1870-1945) painted portraits of uncommon expressive power. A museum dedicated to this representative painter of the Generation of '98 has been opened in Eibar, his birthplace.
No need to look for the richest collection of Basque art! Bilbao's Museum of Fine Arts presents local paintings, engravings and sculptures, from the 12th century to the present day: Jorge Oteiza, Zuloaga and Mari Puri Herreo rub shoulders with Zurbaran, Goya, Bacon and Delaunay.
Public art. Basque identity is traditionally expressed in the streets. Frescoes adorn towns and villages throughout the region. Head for San Sebastián to take the pulse of the local scene, which creatively displays its political demands. In the Egia district and around the Añorga station, graffiti is more colorful and playful. On the coast, the small town of Zarautz has established itself as a meeting point for street art. Large-scale frescoes and discreet drawings are scattered around every street corner.
Public sculpture is flourishing in San Sebastian. Commissions to great local artists include the Wind Comb and Homage to Fleming, by Eduardo Chillida; Jorge Oteiza's acclaimed Empty Construction; Nestor Basterretxea's minimalist Dove of Peace on the seafront.
Today. The Basque Country is in tune with current trends. Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, the high point of the region's openness to the world, is home to international modern and contemporary art. Every year, a million visitors admire the gigantic sculptures that stand guard. Jenny Holzer's Installation lumineuse winks at Buren's Arc Rouge, which spans the nearby bridge. Jeff Koons' Tulips bloom on the terraces, while Joana Vasconcelos' Pop Galo proudly struts its stuff. An eclectic program complements the institution's exceptional permanent collection.
More discreetly, the Tabakalera focuses on the contemporary avant-garde. Multidisciplinary projects are born in this tobacco factory converted into an art center.
Rioja
Early times. In the land of Rioja, the Romans imposed their customs and founded Calahorra and then Logroño in the 2nd century. Enthusiasts will flock to Calahorra's Museum of Romanization, surrounded by a garden filled with architectural features. Among the Roman sculptures, the strikingly realistic Calahorra Lady bears witness to great technical mastery. Similarly, the draped tunic of the Aphrodite of Calahorra is wonderfully rendered in marble.
With the fall of Rome, Rioja came under Visigothic and Arab domination, before being incorporated into Castile in 1073.
Middle Ages. Situated on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Rioja was at the heart of a conflict between Navarre and Castile. The Romanesque style flourished in many religious buildings, with monasteries being major cultural centers. Splendid sculptures can be seen in the choir of the Santa María La Real monastery church, as well as an altarpiece depicting the Romanesque figure of Saint Mary.
The monasteries of San Millán de Yuso and Suso are two masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. At Suso, the small rock-cut chapels house tombs, including a 12th-century example carved in alabaster. At the Yuso monastery, rebuilt in late Gothic style, the portal's bas-reliefs evoke the battle of Simancas. In addition to the portraits in the Salon des Rois, the high altarpiece features eight paintings by the Baroque painter Fray Juan Ricci (1600-1681).
In theCistercian church of Notre-Dame de Vico, the Museum of Sacred Art houses sculptures and antique paintings among its objects of worship. The Museum of La Rioja in Logroño offers an overview of all periods. Its archaeological collection is complemented by works from the Middle Ages (the Torremuña altarpiece), the Renaissance, the Baroque and modern paintings, partly donated by the Prado.
Modern and contemporary. Proud of its past, Rioja is no less forward-looking. The Würth Museum in Agoncillo supports the avant-garde through the Reinhold Würth collection. Contemporary art (Picasso, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor, Andy Warhol, Joan Miró) meets the old masters (Hans Holbein the Younger and Lucas Cranach the Elder). The Museo El Torreón de Haro also showcases young artists, but occupies a tower, the only vestige of the city's surrounding walls. On the second floor, temporary exhibitions are dedicated to young artists, who have exploded since the 1980s thanks to support measures.
Navarre
Early times. Between the charming villages that dot Navarre, traces of the first settlements dating back to the Lower Paleolithic can be discovered at the sites of Coscobillo, Urbasa and Viana. The Roman era is also documented at the Arellano Archaeological Museum. The Villa des Muses site takes its name from the Roman mosaic featuring nine goddesses. Two other mosaics evoke the cult of Cybele and Attis. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region came up against the Visigoths and Franks. But as the Muslims seized the Ebro basin in 714, the Christians formed a core of resistance that gave rise to the first Navarrese dynasty: the Iñigos. Following in their footsteps, in the 11th century Sancho Garcés III the Elder defined the route of the Pilgrim's Way to Compostela, introduced Romanesque art and spread the culture of Cluny across his lands. A period of instability followed, between independence and attachment to the French, Castilian and Aragonese crowns. The reign of Charles III the Noble (1387-1425) was a period of prosperity, as witnessed by the Olite palace.
Middle Ages. Like Rioja, Navarre was home to a high concentration of monasteries. From the 13th century onwards, the Gothic style penetrated Spain through Navarre, expressing itself not only in religious architecture, but also in painting and sculpture.
The Diocesan Museum of Pamplona Cathedral covers several periods. The sculpture of Sainte Marie la Royale and the Crucified Christ by Juan de Ancheta are in the Romanesque style. The French Gothic style is represented by the reliquaries of the Holy Sepulchre and the Lignum Crucis, which belonged to the Crown of Navarre. In addition to the precious religious objects, there are splendid paintings, including the Peralta plate by Van Dyck, altarpieces (the15th-century Flemish-style Las Navas altarpiece) and sculptures.
In a rural setting, legend meets history in the Roncesvalles Museum's collection of sacred art. Sculptures and paintings ranging from Romanesque to Mudejar Gothic include the Calvary Triptych, by the Bosch school, and the Holy Family of Saint Juanito, by Luis de Morales.
The Museo de Tudela (Tudela Museum ) brings together pieces of sacred art from the city's various churches. Its collection covers a wide range of styles : Renaissance altarpieces, Baroque canvases, including those by Vicente Berdusán, and oil on wood paintings such as The Last Judgment, attributed to Bosch. The cathedral is also home to masterpieces. The Romanesque style is represented by a stone White Virgin, the Gothic by three altarpieces, the Renaissance by the choir stalls signed by Esteban de Obray and the Baroque by the Santa Ana and Espíritu Santo chapel
A bridge between past and present, the Museum of Navarre combines archaeology and fine art. The Leire site has yielded Roman mosaics, including a representation of the Triumph of Bacchus. Medieval art is evoked by Romanesque capitals and Gothic sculptures. Contemporary Navarrese artists Julio Martín Caro, Jorge Oteiza, Mariano Royo, Pedro Salaberri, Juan José Aquerreta and Pedro Manterola are also featured.
Recently. On the outskirts of Pamplona, the Museo Oteiza houses the collection of Jorge Oteiza, an essential 20th-century sculptor. His house-studio, designed by an architect from Navarre, contains 1,650 sculptures as well as a wide range of drawings and collages. An award-winning sculptor, Oteiza's aesthetic experiments were designed to evoke form. His Apostles adorn the Basilica of Arantzazu.
Sculptures by Rafael Huerta (b. 1929) dot the Navarre region, the first being his Sagardo Corazón in Corella (1958). The better-known Encierro Monument stands in Pamplona's old town, opposite the bullring. A group of 11 young men are immortalized at the crucial moment when the herd is led to the bullring. The play of balance between the bulls and the figures creates a composition that is both solid and dynamic.
For enthusiasts, the University of Navarre Museum 's photographic collection features images from the 19th century to the present day, based on the legacy of José Ortiz-Echagüe (1886-1980), one of Spain's leading 20th-century photographers. Open to all disciplines, the Centre d'art contemporain de Huarte showcases Basque art and encourages emulation of the young artistic scene.
Pamplona's joie de vivre is evident on its walls, shutters and shop fronts. The pedestrian zone lends itself particularly well to street art. Whether humorous, nationalistic or social, these works reflect the strong character of the locals. On entire facades, wild animals unfurl before your very eyes. Can you find the character taken from Guernica adorning a wooden door?
