County Durham possesses one of the largest concentrations of Spanish artworks anywhere in the world outside Spain. In addition to Francisco de Zurbarán’s cycle of Jacob and his Twelve Sons at Auckland Castle, significant holdings can be found at The Bowes Museum, Ushaw College, Durham Cathedral, Durham University, Raby Castle, and the recently established Spanish Gallery in Bishop Auckland. The County’s collections are wide-ranging, from the Galilee Chapel Altarpiece in Durham Cathedral to paintings by El Greco and Francisco Goya at The Bowes Museum and Salvador Dalí’s lithographs of the Bible at St John’s College.
This Exhibition presents highlights from these collections. The artworks have been grouped into five thematic galleries, providing insights into the diversity and richness of Spanish art during the last 500 years:
- People & Places
- Power & Authority
- Suffering & Pain
- Love & Devotion
- Animals & Objects
How to visit this exhibition: Please scroll to reveal the portals into the five galleries. To enter a gallery, click on ‘explore’. Once you have entered a gallery, scroll to discover the images and short commentaries of the artworks. To find out more about a work, click on ‘read the in-depth commentary’. Your feedback is important to us, please share and comment on your favourite—or least favourite—artworks from the County.
People and Places
Discover how artists engage with the ideals and realities of places and their inhabitants.
Explore
Suffering and Pain
See how Spanish artists explored the sentient experience of suffering and pain.
Explore
Love and Devotion
Understand how Spanish artists appraised the relationship between love and devotion.
Explore
Animals and Objects
Discover how Spanish artworks exploit the symbolic potential of animals and objects.
Explore