The Culture, Traditions, and Heritage of Spain

Flamenco Dance

The flamenco dance is the most attractive aspect of this culture. It is colorful, zealous, and indeed is extremely captivating. Flamenco dance form is not of one kind- 50 “palos” or styles exist and it depends on the individual dance style of that particular dancer. The “palos” differ from one another in form and choreography. The flamenco dancer is expected to comprehend the passionate lyrics of the song as sung by the vocalist and then present them via beautiful and elegant arm gestures. These movements of the body arts oppose the swift movements of the feet that tap on the fo9or as the flamenco dancer sways to the music. Flamenco dance is dependent largely on the personal expression of the dancer, his or her own natural instinct to move his or her body in desired manner to express the vocalist’s message. The basic musical conventions and the rhythms must be abided by no matter what type of improvements the dancer puts in personally.

There are shows where a male and a female figure perform together and this turns out to be the most startling performance for one special evening. Usually, in a duet performance, the zeal, the ecstasy and the intense emotion reaches a palpable form as the figures look straight into each others eyes and remain so throughout the performance. The desire for one another becomes quite apparent in such a show.

Art in Spain

The art of Spain has contributed greatly to the history of Western art, although the characteristics of this art have always been assessed separately from that of some of the other European schools, such as France and Italy.  These differences can be partially explained by the distinct Moorish heritage in Spain, particularly in the Andalusian region, and by the political and cultural climate in Spain during the counter-Reformation and the subsequent eclipse of Spanish power under the Bourbon dynasty.

The art of Spain has varied widely throughout history and depends greatly on the artistic era in which it was created, including the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque and Modern periods.  Some of Spain’s most treasured artists—artists who have greatly influenced and enhanced the Spanish culture—include Pablo Picasso (Guernica), El Greco (The Burial of Count Orgaz), Diego Velasquez (Las Meninas), Francisco Goya (The Third of May), Salvador Dali (The Persistence Of Memory), and Joan Miro (Spanish Dancer).

One of Madrid´s most famous sites is the Museo Nacional del Prado, or the Prado. The masterpieces in this gallery include works by Spain´s greatest artists, which Spanish royal families collected throughout history. The Prado is not the only place to find art in Spain. Many other galleries can be found throughout Spain. Magnificent paintings and sculptures add to the beauty of tiny rural churches scattered across the land. Impressive statues stand in village plazas, and elaborate tile patterns decorate the walls of houses.

Religious Art

In the 1500s, the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella ordered Spanish artists to produce paintings and sculptures with religious themes only. Most subjects in the paintings were shown in a natural, realistic way. The religious paintings of the artist El Greco (1541-1614) were different. El Greco was born on the Greek island of Crete, but did most of his work in Spain. His real name was Domenikos Theotokopoulos, but people in Spain called him El Greco, which means “The Greek”. He painted people with long bodies who were often in distorted positions, making them seem tense and dramatic. El Greco was also known for painting landscapes, which were not common in Spain at the time.