Museum of Fine Arts, Boston celebrates ‘Spanish Spring’ with El Greco to Velazquez.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), celebrates the richness of Spain’s magnificent artistry with El Greco to Velazquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III, highlighting works by the great Spanish masters; and Antonio Lopez Garcia, a retrospective of this contemporary realist. The exhibitions were opened on Saturday by Her Royal Highness Dona Cristina de Borbon, Infanta of Spain, and His Excellency Don Inaki Urdangarin, Duke of Palma. Also in attendance were United States Senator Edward Kennedy, His Excellency, D. Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, Ambassador of Spain to the United States, and Antonio Lopez Garcia. El Greco to Velazquez is on view April 20 through July 27 and Antonio Lopez Garcia from April 13 through July 27.

El Greco to Velazquez features 60 paintings and sculptures, including 11 works by El Greco and seven by Velazquez. The late works of El Greco and the early works of Velazquez are considered within the context of the court of Philip III, a vibrant artistic period of 23 years (1598-1621). Key masterpieces from international museums, including the Prado, are included in the exhibition. An audio guide is available in both English and Spanish.

Organized by the MFA and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in Durham, NC, the exhibition is sponsored by Bank of America. Additional support is provided by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Homeland Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and WCVB-TV 5. El Greco to Velazquez is presented with the collaboration of the State Corporation for Spanish Cultural Action Abroad (SEACEX), supported by the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and the Ministry of Culture. Generous support for the catalogue was provided by Scott and Isabelle Black and SEACEX.

Antonio Lopez Garcia showcases 55 paintings, drawings, and sculpture highlighting the artist’s career from 1955 to the present. A special feature is the debut of Day and Night, monumental sculptures of baby heads flanking the Museum’s front entrance. The exhibition is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation.

For more information at http://www.mfa.org>