Accadere. Journal of Art History

Perspectives and Pretenses in the Baroque Mural Painting of Sanlúcar de Barrameda During the Eighteenth Century

2025-12-01T13:57:45+00:00

During the 18th century, illusionist trompe l'oeil baroque mural painting was one of the most effective tools for the transformation and expansion of the conservative spaces of medieval and classicist heritage of the conventual and parochial architecture of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz). In this chronological context, we analyze the “feigned” major and collateral altarpieces preserved, most of them of provisional character and hidden behind the definitive ones in gilded wood; the illusionist architectures of complex perspective and bulky ornamentation, ideal frame for complex iconographic programs, with which to dynamize important spaces; the pictorial frames to dilate altarpieces, niches and altar paintings; and the use of trompe l'oeil in monumental doors.

Las The paintings of Santa María del Águila: Victims of the Unfortunate Events of 1936 and the Manipulations of the Obscure Art Market

2025-12-01T13:57:45+00:00

In the church, later a hermitage and subsequently a sanctuary, of Santa María del Águila in Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville), several paintings existed that met markedly different fates. The panel painting of the Nativity was completely consumed in the deliberate fire of July 1936. A mural painting depicting Saint James and Saint Matthew, severely affected by this fire, was restored and is currently visible at the head of the Epistle wall. Of two long, narrow panel paintings, which were reportedly sold in 1910, the one representing Saint Bartholomew has been recovered. This latter piece was missing from 1987 until 2013, when an antique dealer offered it for sale. Although the Brotherhood of the Virgen del Águila of Alcalá de Guadaira was interested in acquiring it, they were compelled to abandon the purchase due to the manipulations the work had undergone and its high price. After several years, in 2024, the heritage authorities (Patrimonio) acquired it, and it was permanently installed in the Museum of Alcalá de Guadaira. A formal analysis of the characteristics of the three artworks indicates that they are by the same hand, and even allows for the attribution of authorship, a debated point, to Juan Sánchez de Castro.

Academics in Cadiz. Victoria Martin Barhié and Alexandrina Gessler

2025-12-01T13:57:46+00:00

This article aims to highlight two great 19th-century painters and academics. These two figures, although born in Cádiz, achieved an impact beyond their hometown, where a certain prosperity prevailed that encouraged cultural diffusion and enrichment. The neoclassical Victoria Martín and the multifaceted Alejandrina Gessler, the latter always influenced by her beloved Paris, were two excellent women who managed to overcome the conventions of the time and left an important mark on the Andalusian and international artistic scene. This was due not only to their merits as painters, whose canvases were clearly admired from the outset, but also to their achievements as academics, with all the responsibility and resounding success that that historic event represented.

Las Plazas de España. Around the World. A Special Analysis of Seville’s One. Sources of Inspiration and Symbolism

2025-12-01T13:57:46+00:00

The idea of building «Plaza de España» throughout the country arose spontaneously in some cities in the 1910s, however, it did not become true until 1929 for various reasons: for trade fairs, to commemorate a historical event, or for the centennial of a particular writer. They all had in common their Americanist vocation, the unifying role played by languages, rivers, the sea, literature and history and the civil war. In the case of Seville, it was built on the occasion of the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition designed by Aníbal González. This article analyses the sources of inspiration for the model, its compositional and decorative schemes, and the symbolism it contains.

El The Jerónimos Monastery of San Juan de Aznalfarache.

2025-12-01T13:57:46+00:00

One of the last wishes of Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares was to build a Jerónimos monastery in San Juan de Aznalfarache, a village near to Seville. The ministry of Philip IV ordered to build in there the pantheon of the Dukes of Sanlúcar la Mayor. However, this new foundation entailed the detriment of the Dominican convent of Loeches (Madrid). Although this foundation was not established, this decision allows us to know the last great building of the Olivares lineage. In addition, we can study the extensive policy of patronage undertook by one of the most important historical figures of Modern Ages.

Our Lady of the Rosary of Algodonales.

2025-12-01T13:57:47+00:00

This is a documentary and formal study of the sculpture of Our Lady of the Rosary in the parish of Santa Ana in Algodonales, a work by Sevillian Cristóbal Ramos (1725-1799). Along with various aspects related to the creation of this work and its historical evolution, the authorship of Diego Suárez in the polychromy of this and other pieces by the aforementioned sculptor is considered.