Scarf Boys: "The Hispanic Society of America"

We have been talking about going to the museum even people who live in Upper West Side of Manhattan don't know. It's called "The Hispanic Society of America" located on West 155 Street & Broadway.
This location was originally the estate of Audubon.
It was founded as a free museum and research library in 1904 by the American scholar and philanthropist Archer Milton Huntington(1870 ~ 1955).
This museum and Library constitute the most extensive collection of Hispanic Art and Literature out side of Spain and Latin America.
Archer Huntington's fascination with Spanish culture started at age of twelve, by nineteen he revealed his aspiration to found a "Spanish Museum".
Working toward this goal, he began his collection with Spanish rare books and manuscripts, then decorative arts, followed by paintings and sculpture.

First thing you see at the museum is this Plaque.

Founder of the Museum

The main reason I wanted to go this Museum is to see paintings by El Greco, Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Goya. Yes, you can see paintings by Master Spanish Painters up close without fighting with other museum visitors.
There is one more reason for us to go to the part of Manhattan we hardly ever go visit. That is to see works by "Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida" who painted a series of Oil Paintings of Spain through out all its regions for this museum.
We did get there easily by subway and it's only a few blocks from the station.
We arrived there just on time to join the Museum Tour. We didn't even know they have free guided tours.
Our guide was obviously a Spanish American Lady who spoke perfectly elegant spanish and understood the whole history of the museum and its paintings and other art objects we saw that sunday afternoon.
The tour started at Sorolla's Room, then main gallery, and the balcony ......

This is the Formal Entrance to the Museum.

There were 2 flags welcoming the visitors.

I have a fascination for Iron Work.

To me they are the lace for the buildings.

The quality of iron work makes buildings cheap or rich.

Just like quality of the lace makes a dress elegant or ordinary....

This is the main gallery.

You see only one painting on this level of this large room.

"Portrait of Duchess of Alba" by Francisco de Goya.

This is the most renowned painting in the collection.

According to our guide he painted 2 versions of the portrait for the Duchess.

One with White Linen Dress which he presented to her.

And this one with Black Lace Dress which he kept for himself.

She is wearing 2 rings. One has "Goya" on it.

And this finger pointed at the floor where you can see

some message to us from Goya.

There are many stories behind this painting.

When you take the tour in the Museum you will hear all about.

Doesn't it make you want to go ?

"Vision of Spain"

Among the most popular works at the Hispanic Society are those paintings by Spain's "Painter of Light" Jaquin Sorolla y Bastida (1863 ~1923).

The Sorolla Room is located next to the main gallery and filled with panoramic series of 14 canvases. Each painting has title and location under them.

The Provinces of Spain (1911 ~ 1919 ) presents a celebration of regional costumes and cultures that surround visitors in the room with the artist's "Vision of Spain". That means you will never find landscape exactly the same as in those paintings. They are all his vision, designed to fill all walls of the room with Ordinary Spanish Life, not with big cityscapes nor emerging modern Spain.

This work is all commissioned specifically for this room. Those paintings were all done in his studio in Madrid. He sketched all around Spain to compose the scenery. Between Sorolla & Hutington corresponded many times to design the room. Although Sorolla himself never saw all of his work hung in this custom made big gallery.

I took many pictures without flash in this room, but it is impossible to give you the whole scale of paintings and colors. I edited parts of the paintings I adore.

Hope these photos will give you some feeling of those fantastic Lights & Shadows of Spain. It is so alive ! Just fantastic !!

Make time to go up there to see them with your own eyes. It is well worth it....