From the dawn of mankind's artistic achievement in the cave paintings of Altamira, to Picasso's groundbreaking Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and beyond, the arts in Spain tangibly illustrate the unique course of Spanish history. In this wide-ranging critical overview, John F. Moffitt concentrates on paradigms of painting, sculpture, the decorative arts, and architecture, situating them within their historical context.

Professor Moffitt first traces Iberian and Roman beginnings and examines the Islamic and Christian foundations of Cordoba and the Escorial. He discusses the masterworks of El Greco, Zurbaran, Velazquez, and Goya, the innovations of Picasso, Dali, and Miro, and the advent of postmodernism in Spain. Authoritative and ambitious, the book encompasses the enormous breadth of the Spanish artistic panorama, revealing how many of its most characteristic modern traits were present in earliest times.