From Rome to Madrid

Francesca Parrilla, From Rome to Madrid. The circulation of ornament drawings and prints between the end of the Seventeenth and the beginning of the Eighteenth century

The volume analyzes the artistic exchange between Rome and Madrid, from the end of the Habsburg monarchy to the beginning of the Bourbon reign, through the circulation of collections of ornament drawings and prints, in relation to the changed Spanish taste. Even if Felipe V (1683-1746) was naturally inclined to French culture, he had a distinct interest in the Italian style as proven by the impressive number of ambassadors, diplomats, agents, artists and merchants who were present at his court and functioned as a bridge between Spanish and Italian culture. The influence of Italian art in Madrid during the seventeenth century is connected, as well, to Queen Elisabetta Farnese and to the presence at the court of the architect Filippo Juvarra, who was commissioned to design the Palacio Real Nuevo after a terrible fire had burned down the Alcazar palace in 1734.

What was the network that transmitted the roman model and what was their impact on the Spanish artistic vocabulary? Who, among the Iberian artists, imitated Velazquez’s ability at weaving relationships with the principal Italian artists and patrons buying artwork and figurative models from Italy?

The author of the volume provided answers to these and other questions.