History of Interior Design I: Spanish Renaissance

The 16th century was the most brilliant era in Spanish history. During this time, you can see a fusion on Christian Spain and Moorish art called Mudejar. This was the era of Ferdinand and Isabella and the voyages of Christopher Columbus to the New World. The Spanish were successful navigators and traders which resulted in fabulous amounts of gold and silver. At the start of the century they were at the height of their power and very rich, but by the end they were bankrupt. The art and architecture of this time was influenced by Early Christian, Medieval, and the Italian Renaissance. There were two schools of art in Spain at the time, The Moors, and the Christian Spanish. The Moors were the worlds finest geometricians, they were colorful and exuberant and expert wood workers. They were expelled in 1607 which was a great loss to the handicrafts and commerce of Southern Spain. Allhambra Granada was the last palace completed before the Moors were expelled. It is a fine example of Moorish architecture and decoration. The Cathedral of Seville was the largest in the world in the 15th century. It contains 80 chapels which conduct 500 masses daily. You can see a blending of Moorish and Christiain architecture as well as a Gothic/Renaissance blend. Rejas are the decorative iron grilles used in this and many on the residential and public buildings of the time. There was two main phases of design during this time, the Plateresco and the Desornamantado. The Plateresco phase, or silversmith's style is Gothic or Renaissance in it's construction. It consists on minute and delicate ornamentation. The Desornamantado phase, or unornamented, was a reaction to the Plateresco and was a powerful style and could be seen in public and government buildings. Designers used careful proportions with this style of building. The Baroque style was also developed during this time after the death of architect Juan de Herrera and his Herrera style which used classic forms, plain surfaces and sparse decoration. The Baroque style replaced this and Desornamantado with more passionate design. It included surface decoration, motifs of natural objects, and used the classical orders in nontraditional ways. The Spanish are known for their cabinetwork and their inlay work is one of their finest achievements. Their style was simple but bold with heavy proportions and crude carving. They liked repetitive designs and silver ornamentation as well as the use of wrought iron. The Sillon de Frailero, or Monk's Chair, was a walnut armchair that was simple and rectangular with a leather seat and back as well as tassel ornamentation. The Vargueno was a distinctive cabinet designed as a receptacle for valuables. The Walnut Papelera was used to store important documents. Tables had iron braces and splayed legs, beds had wood turning that resembled iron work and often no footboard.

Classic Examples: