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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Balenciaga and Spanish Painting

June 18 – Sept 22, 2019
Paseo del Prado, 8, 28014 Madrid, Spain

The couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga pulled effortlessly from his inheritance as a Spaniard. The Catholic Church, Flamenco, the bull fights, royalty, yes. Profound was the influence of Spanish art—its colors and volumes—from Francisco de Zurbarán to Joan Miró. The painted folds of a robe, the painted light of fabric falling—Balenciaga’s hands structured these shadows and spaces right into the gown, the suit, the coat. One doesn’t miss an exhibition on the incomparable Balenciaga. —L.J.

© 2019 Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza