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Review Of Treasures Of Castilla Y León: A Cultural Season In New York, Antoni Pizà

Publications and Research

Spanish religious art tends to be theatrical in nature. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, for example, the original setting of sculpted figures invariably emulated a stage in order to create a dramatic environment in which light, smells, and sounds were controlled for effect. Just consider the religious sculptures frequently paraded in processions or the statuary placed in chapels and niche-like recesses. Or think also of the dramatic paintings that functioned almost as backdrops for what amounted to the "staging" of the Catholic liturgy. Medium and message, thus, went hand in hand, a dependence that was made even stronger …