Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville

Just when we think we can't do another museum we are fascinated all over again.  Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville is an art museum, housed in a former convent, portraying the works of famous spanish artists.  We walked along the gardens, looking at the tiled walls and I wondered if I was going to be in trouble for dragging everyone through another museum.  We had already walked several miles to get there.

There are 14 separate rooms with different works none of which we would probably recognize.  We asked where to start and the staff said the best room was number five.  We went straight there.  I am a save-the-best-for-last sort of girl but not in the case of museums.

Our breaths were taken away upon entering the unforgettable room number five.  The girls asked to go back to the gift shop so they could purchase books and pencils to make notes on what they saw.

The room was filled with altarpieces.  The Catholic Church required pictures to teach and win over the faithful.  From the Renaissance onwards, chapels began to be filled with these explanatory scenes.

The painting the girls are looking at is what we know as the Immaculate Conception by Murillo in 1665. The artist uses a technique that makes the lighter colors seem heavenly and the dark a mysterious level of black .

This is the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew by Roelas.  He used the contrast of earthly and heavenly planes in most of his works.

Beautiful Ceiling

After bathing in the works of Spanish painters from the 15th and 16th century we moved on to the lesser rooms but were pleasantly surprised.

The head of John the Baptist done by Delgado in 1591.

I noticed it was donated in 1980.  I wonder if this was sitting in someone's living room.

Sevillano 1790
Does this look familar?  I guess Michaelangelo wasn't the only one to depict the Last Supper.  There were several different "Last Suppers"

                                    Weeping over the Dead Christ by Millan in 1490 out of clay.

We were all captivated with room five and Dennis and I could have spent days in the rest of the museum's rooms.  But the girls' legs were exhausted and we still needed to get back home so it was time to say good-bye.

We are thankful for the paintings and sculptures that so vividly tell the stories of the past.