The product of twenty years of research, and illustrated with a sumptuousness befitting its subject, El Greco to Velázquez is sure to become a standard reference for students of Spanish art.

Philip III (1578-1621) presided over an era of crucial artistic development in Spain. His reign was a time of cultural and political vitality for the Spanish monarchy, as the king and his court ushered in a style of grandeur where fabulous gala celebrations, building campaigns, picture collecting, recreation and travel were the order of the day.

The art of this period flourished, witnessing the birth of a naturalistic style that was reflected in a new attention to detail and spatiality in court portraiture; the thriving of still life; the humanizing of saints; and the development of polychromatic sculpture.

Focusing on the careers of the mature El Greco and the young Velázquez, this comprehensive and beautiful book also investigates the works of lesser-known but highly talented artists who exerted a critical influence on the development of Spanish painting.

Essays by noted scholars provide indispensable perspectives on the historical, literary, cultural and religious context in which these artists lived.