Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World Now at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

The Indianapolis Museum of Art has assembled an inspirational and unforgettable collection of 17^th century artwork and artifacts from Spain and Latin America into a temporary exhibit entitled Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World. This is the first exhibition of its kind and it offers the unusual perspective of sacred Spanish art during the baroque period.

"While the scenes depicted in these works may be familiar to many, Sacred Spain puts these paintings and sculptures in the context of a pivotal period in Spanish history," said Maxwell L. Anderson, the Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. "This exhibition illuminates the remarkable role that the artist played at a time when art was believed to have divine power."

Sacred Spain consists of six beautiful galleries and includes more than 70 works of art, many which have never been viewed in the United States prior to this exclusive exhibit. Works exhibited are from El Greco, Diego, Velázquez, Francisco de Zurbarán, Alonso Cano, Franciso Ribalta, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Juan de Valdes Leal, Juan Correa, Cristobal de Villalpando and others who sought to defend the use of religious art during the 17^th century.

Ronda Kasl, senior curator of painting and sculpture before 1800 was interviewed by The Criterion newspaper. Kasl told the Criterion, "These are functional objects...They were made to convey meaning." She continued, "This (artwork) comes on the heels of the Reformation and the iconoclasm in northern Europe. It's very interesting that, during this period, artists, theorists and theologians were rather preoccupied with defending the use of images in religion. They were faced with allegations of idolatry so they wanted to be very, very clear about the fact that these images existed to awaken devotion-to move people to devotion-or to teach them."

The first gallery of the Sacred Spain exhibit is entitled "In Defense of Images." It contains the explanation the "In 1563, faced with allegations of idolatry and abuse, the (Church's) Council of Trent (1545-1563 reaffirmed the usefulness of the images as a means for the instruction and edification of the faithful."
One of the most moving features can be found within the third gallery with its blood-red walls. It is Cristo Yacente, the incredibly realistic and life-size sculpture of "Dead Christ," whose bloody, crucified body is found lying on a table in the center of the gallery. This Juan Sanchez Barba sculpture has been venerated during Good Friday processions in the town of Navalcarnero since 1652 and has never been shown outside of the Spanish town.

The art from Sacred Spain is displayed in six galleries located in the Allen Whitehill Clowes Gallery in Wood Pavilion at the IMA. The six key sections of Sacred Spain are entitled: In Defense of Images; True Likeness; Moving Images; With the Eyes of the Soul; Visualizing Sanctity; and Living with Images

Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World has been made possible by a $1 million grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, allowing the Indianapolis Museum of Art to offer free admission to this awe-inspiring exhibit.

For more information about Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, visit IMA's website.

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