At the weekend I attended an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. Spain and the Hispanic World: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library is the exhibition’s full title, and sums up what it is all about.
The Hispanic Society was founded in 1908 in New York by Archer M. Huntington. A childhood love of Spain grew into an obsession with the country, its culture and art, and subsequently Latin America. The works on display reflect his wide-ranging interests: manuscripts and rare books, Old Master paintings, modern art and prehistoric pottery. Indigenous works from Latin American artists also made it into the collection, and Huntington was unique among his peers in recognising the Arabic contribution to Spanish culture: he learnt Arabic and included related arts and crafts in his collection.
There was plenty to see in the exhibition: it is rare to find such a wide-ranging selection on display. Multiple facets of Spain and the Hispanic world’s culture were represented. The Celtiberian jewellery was impressive, I loved the beautiful books on display, and enjoyed the historic artwork, but my favourites were the more modern paintings, such as those by Sorolla.