Riqueza - History Lab

Distribution of the wealth of merchant families in Burgos, 1752-1850 (in reales and percentages of the value of the stock of inventoried goods)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:07 +0000

The city of Burgos during the 18th century, after the long decline suffered since the 1570s, recovered a large part of its demographic numbers, experiencing a 42% increase in population between 1752-1787. The economic recovery experienced in the last third of the 17th century shows a scarce presence of merchants that resurfaced in the following century, derived from the advance of agricultural production based on the increase in cultivated land and commercial development with the new export of wool. Analysing the internal structure of the patrimonial wealth, movable goods comprised 79.9% of the total patrimony, directly related to mercantile activity. After the importance of movable goods, explained by the exercise of the activity, in second place comes the possession and exploitation of livestock with 10.7%, dedicated to personal service, preferably mules for travelling. The third position is occupied by dwellings and complementary dependencies that exemplify the interest of the bourgeoisie in a type of investment considered fundamental for establishing and developing their businesses (houses and markets). As in the national average, the acquisition of farmland was of interest, with 4.4% indicating the family’s inclination towards investments considered attractive not only for their degree of security – as far as investment is concerned – but also for their strong social sense as a mirror of business success.

The post Distribution of the wealth of merchant families in Burgos, 1752-1850 (in reales and percentages of the value of the stock of inventoried goods) first appeared on History Lab.

Politics, economy and society. Theme: The 17th century. Session 1

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

Explanatory video outlining the socio-economic and political characteristics of the 17th century in Modern Europe. During this period, Europe was plunged into a deep crisis. Population growth was slowed by successive plague epidemics, wars that led to terrible famines, low agricultural yields and poor harvests. On the other hand, the trade established with America, as well as the network established between Europe and Africa, provided excellent profits. Internationally, England and Holland began to compete with Spain and Portugal, expanding mainly in Asia and attacking Iberian cities and routes with pirates and privateers. France imposed its dominance in Europe over all other nations after the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War in Germany.

The post Politics, economy and society. Theme: The 17th century. Session 1 first appeared on History Lab.

Women’s lives through ceramics and sumptuary arts

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

Didactic guide that aims to provide work material for teachers and students interested in opening up new avenues of reflection based on active participation and critical questioning of the history and theories of art with the inclusion of the gender perspective. From the collections of the Museo Nacional de Cerámica Gonzalez Martí, which houses a series of objects that refer us to different spheres of artistic reflection and cultural production, the aim is to raise questions about gender equality. Objects that speak to us from the power of accumulation and wealth to different forms of reproduction of everyday life and care, from the most intimate spheres to the presence of the public sphere. The itinerary proposed by the authors – Asunción Bernardez Rodal, Antonia Fernández Valencia and Marián López Fernández Cao – responds to the need to give greater visibility to women’s work and their participation in both material and symbolic life throughout history. The itinerary we propose has two lines of development: on the one hand, it aims to highlight the importance of women in artistic creation in general and in ceramics in particular, questioning above all the traditional role of women in art, which has been above all that of being models for artists. Secondly, the analysis of social space as significant places where gender relations are expressed. Although the chronological approach of the guide is long-term, the Modern Age has an important presence. The project is part of “Didactics 2.0 Museums in Feminine”, a project that is the result of joint work between a team from the Feminist Research Institute of the Complutense University of Madrid, the e-Women Association and the teams from the museums participating in the project: Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Museo del Traje and Museo Nacional de Cerámica González Martí

The post Women’s lives through ceramics and sumptuary arts first appeared on History Lab.