Documentales - History Lab

I saw it: Goya, the modern look at art

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:27:41 +0000

Audio of the programme Documentos RNE on Francisco de Goya. This 55-minute documentary by Ana Vega Toscano explores one of the most singular figures of universal art. It stresses the absolute modernity of his work and the transcendence it has had in the evolution of contemporary art. The extensive and original production of this brilliant painter, with his technical innovations, is explored in parallel with his life and the context of his time, addressing both the myth and the artist. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, through the different phases of his painting, his work reflects the complex process of evolution of the crisis of the Ancien Régime. Although he cannot be considered either an 18th or 19th century painter, he is in fact a contemporary painter in his own right, a precursor of later trends in art such as Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism. The documentary features the participation of art historians Manuela Mena Marqués and José Manuel Matilla Rodríguez, curators of the exhibition “Goya. Solo la voluntad me sobra” held in 2019. Also included are contributions by the historian Miguel Artola, the art historian Natacha Seseña and the art historian Alfonso Pérez Sánchez. The programme is completed with a selection of texts and letters by the author and his entourage. A short video clip https://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentos-rne/documentos-rne-goya-mirada-moderna-del-arte/5440766/ is also available

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The Countess of Montijo (1754-1808)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:27:41 +0000

who was Mª Francisca de Sales Portocarrero y Guzmán (1754-1808), VI Countess of Montijo? The answer is offered by Gloria Franco Rubio, Professor of Modern History at the Complutense University of Madrid, in a presentation lasting just over 13 minutes. The video, hosted on the website Recursos Didácticos para la Historia Moderna y Contemporánea de las Mujeres y las Relaciones de Género en España, focuses on her figure as one of the most brilliant women of enlightened Spain. Translator of French works, salon conductor, active secretary of the Junta de Damas, she was also a suspect in religious matters. Her life trajectory shows a strong and free personality, unconventional in the society of her time and contrary to the model of the traditional domestic woman. Involved in the problems of her time, she wanted to contribute to the attainment of public happiness by getting involved in the search for solutions, developing activities and contributing initiatives that led her to adopt a personal commitment to the reformist tendencies of the enlightened governments, almost always acting with great solidarity towards women

The post The Countess of Montijo (1754-1808) first appeared on History Lab.

Ferdinand VII, a bad reign of a lousy king

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:27:35 +0000

Radio documentary on Ferdinand VII and his reign. Described in his time as “The Desired One” by a people who saw him as a victim of Godoy, first, and Napoleon, later, he is considered one of the worst kings in the history of Spain. Born in 1784, he was the son of Charles IV and Maria Luisa of Parma. A conspirator against his father, Napoleon took advantage of the weakness and division of the royal family to force the abdication of the crown and hand it over to his brother Joseph. Exiled in France during the War of Independence, he returned to Spain in 1814. As absolute monarch he annulled the Constitution of Cadiz and persecuted the liberals. After Riego’s uprising, he had no choice but to swear the Constitution in 1820 during the so-called Liberal Triennium. Three years later the absolute monarchy was imposed once again, ushering in the Ominous Decade until his death in 1833. In the absence of a son, he repealed the Salic Law so that his daughter, the Infanta Isabella, could accede to the throne. With the Pragmatic Sanction, the Carlists, supporters of the Infante Carlos María Isidro, saw their hopes of succession collapse, provoking a civil war that would continue throughout the 19th century. Modesta Cruz’s documentary features contributions by Emilio La Parra and Juan Francisco Fuentes, as well as Miguel Artola Gallego, a former Prince of Asturias Award winner.

The post Ferdinand VII, a bad reign of a lousy king first appeared on History Lab.