The Princess of Eboli (Teresa García). Sofonisba Anguissola (Alicia García)

I'm going to talk about culture in the Baroque Ages.

Architecture and Sculpture: 
    - The main characteristic was the representation of movement.
    - Types of Baroque buildings:
          *Religious buildings: they had large domes. Example: Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in                                                     Rome.
          *Non-Religious buildings: such as palaces that represented the power of the                                                                monarchy and maisions of nobles an bourgeoisie.
    -Architecture in Spain: 
          *Religious architecture: they used extensive decoration. Example: Cathedral of Santiago                                               de Compostela.
          *Civil architecture: it was less decorate and more balanced. Example: Plaza Mayor of                                                   Madrid.
    -Sculpture in Spain: was based in religious themes, its objective was to eclicit emotion in the                                               faces.
Painting:
    -Catholic churches used elaborate paintings and sculptures to explain religious principles.
    -It was defined by delicate effects of light and colour, exploting the contrast between light and shades. The figures were very realism.
    -An important painter was Carvaggio.
    -Painting in Spain:
          *Paintig experienced a golden age.
          *In the first half of 17th century  Jose de Rivera and Francisco de Zurbaran were two                                                   famous painters.
          *In the second half of 17th century Esteban Murillo stood but Diego Velazquez was recognised in all parts with his famous painting ´Las Meninas´.

To finish we can see that in the Baroque age painters used many types of contrast, they wanted create an effect of movement, they were so realism and symbolism, they created feelings in faces.

By Ángel Villacastín Sánchez

Saturn Devouring His Son by Rubens.

Saturn Devouring His Son is a 1636 painting by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, now in the Prado Museum. It is an oil painting on canvas.

This is one of the Rubens' most dramatic paintings. It was commissioned by Philip IV of Spain for decorate the Torre de la Parada with mythological scenes inspired by "Meramorphoses" of Ovid.

Saturn was warned that one of his sons would dethrone him, so he decided to devour all of them, leaving only one: Zeus that was saved by his mother, Rea. The painting represents Saturn tearing the chest of one of his sons leaning on his scythe, symbol of the agriculture. The three stars at the top of the painting represent the planet Saturn as described Galileo a few years before the painting. The central star is the planet itself, while the two others represent what he thought were two stars aligned with the planet (these were actually the rings around the planet).

The figure of the god is silhouetted between the dark backgrounds; the light gets a dramatic effect very common in the Baroque similar to a play; also, the light creates a starlign and impressive atmosphere. The figures in the painting show a huge strenght in the position of the boby. The faces show very dramatic and real expressions, especially in the figure of the child that looks suffering.

Aitana Soria Revestido 2ºA

THE RAPE OF THE DAUGHTERS OF LEUCIPPUS

The theme of The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus is the result of a bitter and brutal rivalry between two pairs of twins, for Castor and Pollux side, also called "Dioscuri" as children of Zeus, and the other Idas and Linceo sons of Aphareus and her stepsister Arene.

Everything came from afar, when Gorgophone, daughter of Perseus nothing less married twice. The first with Perieres, son of Eolo and king of Messene; and second, left a widow with Ebalo, king of Sparta. The first marriage for children would Aphareus and Leucippus, and the second to Tindáreo and Icario. In both cases the two brothers were with their respective thrones of kingdoms and Leucipo Aphareus reigned in Messene, the first king and the second sharing the throne; happening the same with Tindáreo and Icario, kings of Sparta, as such the first and the second sharing throne. And while the harmony reigned between each pair of brothers, was not the case among the brothers, as championing the cause of rival kingdoms.

The next generation is the one that openly face. Arene Aphareus married and had a child Idas and Linceo, while for daughters would Leucipo the Leucípides, Hilaria and Febe calls. For his part Tyndareus married Leda, who in turn had intercourse with Zeus in the form of a swan. Its union with Tindáreo be born Castor and Clytemnestra, and her relationship with Zeus, would be born of two separate eggs, Helena (Helena future of Troy) and Pollux, which thus reached immortal status.

The relationship of the two brothers, Castor and Pollux, was exemplary, always united and always together in a true fraternal love. Both were superb horsemen, and also Castor, great soldier and tamer of horses, and Pollux remarkable boxer.

Meanwhile Aphareus arranged the marriage of their children with their cousins, the daughters of Lucipo, Febe, priestess of Athena, and Hilaria, priestess of Artemis. But not come to be celebrated the marriage because Castor and Pollux abducted the daughters of Leucippus (apparently with the help of Cupid), with which they would have two children, so challenging the descendants of the brothers of his father and perpetuating not only the family rivalry, but of the two kingdoms, Messene and Sparta.

    

                                                       

                                                                                                               By Esther Rivier Salinas