Photos images pictures of the Alhambra Palace, Granada Spain. Although the Berber Moors started their conquest of the Iberian peninsular, present day Spain and Portugal, in 711 it was not until the 11th century that Granada was founded. At that time Granada was a hamlet called Gárnata, and after the fall of the Umayyad Andalusian kingdom, Al-Andalus was fragmented into a number of minor states and principalities, most notably the Emirate of Granada. One of the great tourist attractions of Spain is the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353–1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus, reduced to the Nasrid Emirate of Granada. The Royal Complex consists of three main parts: Mexuar, Serallo, and the Harem. The Mexuar is modest in decor and houses the functional areas for conducting business and administration. Strapwork is used to decorate the surfaces in Mexuar. Serallo, built during the reign of Yusuf I in the 14th century, contains the Court of the Myrtles. Brightly coloured interiors featured dado panels, yesería, azulejo, cedar, and Artesonado are highly decorative ceilings and other woodwork. Lastly, the Harem is also elaborately decorated and contains the living quarters for the wives and mistresses of the Berber monarchs. Court of the Myrtles The present entrance to the Moorish palace is by a small door from which a corridor connects to the Court of the Myrtles, also called the Court of the Blessing or Court of the Pond, from the Arabic birka meaning “pool". Hall of the Ambassadors The Hall of the Ambassadors is the largest in the Alhambra. It is a square room, that was the grand reception room of the sultan with a throne placed opposite the entrance. Court of the Lions and the Fabulous Fountain. The Court of the Lions, a unique example of Muslim art. The Court of the Lions is an oblong court surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and a light domed roof. The square is paved with coloured tiles and the colonnade with white marble, while the lower parts of the walls are covered with blue and yellow tile tessaltions, with a border above and below of enamelled blue and gold. Hall of the Abencerrajes. The Hall of the Abencerrajes gets its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is decorated in blue, brown, red and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner . The Alhambra is UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints

Pictures photos images of Berber Arabesque plasterwork and its various styles. One of the great mediums used by the Berber Arabeque is plasterwork and under the Nasrids this reached the highly sophisticated forms that can be seen in the Alhambra Palace in Granada. The main architectural features within the buildings are ceramic mosaics, plasterwork and carved wooden ceilings all profusely decorated. Nasrid plasterwork in the Alhambra is probably the best example of Berber plasterwork. It has been worked onto every interior space in the Alhambra with such fine detail that it almost looks like textile hangings with intricated ornamental design. the plasterwork elements brake down into calligraphic inscriptions, geometric lazo, ataurique and mocárabes.There are two types of calligraphic styles in the Alhambra plasterwork are Kufic an early angular form of the Arabic alphabet found chiefly in decorative inscriptions which usually had quotations from the Holy Qur’an, and Nashkhid-Thuluth a cursive script style using with the flowing curved characters.Kufic caligraphy uses square and angular straight lines and bold circular forms. When the calligraphy is incorporated into plaster panels the letters are elongated to blend with the overall design. The Nashkhid-Thuluth style is much more flowing and elegant more like script and the style is used commonly in the narrow panels that are placed on top of tiles that line the lower walls of Berber buildings. The most popular script in Narid buildings is the dynastic motto 'Wa la ghalib ila Ala' which translates 'There is no conqueror but God.' Geometric lazo plasterwork is a popular design used throughout Islamic art. The Nasrid liked the geometric lazo of eight, a variation unique to themselves, that incorporated an eight pointed star.in a square grid which became the central point of a bigger design called “ruedas” or wheels. Berber Nasrid art also used stylised abstracted floral and vegetal motifs based on trees, flowers and fruits. These designs known as ataurique fill spaces between the geometric Lazo designs to create an overwhelming surface geometry. During Muhammed V (1354) more themes and variations appear: complex palm leaves shells, peppercorns, pine cones, and for the first time, they begin to appear intertwined with calligraphic inscriptions. The most spectacular use of plasterwork are the Mocárabe decorative elements. Berber Arabesque Mocárabe, Honeycomb work, or Stalactite work consists of a complex array of vertical prisms resembling stalactites. The stalactite design may be a symbolic representation of the cave where Mohammed received the Koran. The Nasrid dynasty of Granada used mocárabe extensively and used it around the capitals of its columns thereby making a new order of column. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

Photos of zellinge mosaic Berber tile designs of Morocco and Spain. Zellige, zillij or zellij are enamelled geometric terracotta tiles that are set in plaster to create symmetrical ornamental surface coverings in Berber and Hispano Moorish buildings. The patterns created by the artisans are infinite ranging from the popular octagon through star and cross shapes that are combined to create rich decorations on walls, floors, pool and fountains as well as tables and ceilings. Geometric designs in plaster, tiles and calligraphy have fascinated Islamic artists since the birth of Islam. Figurative representations of God or any of the profits of Islam meant that Islamic artists gave expression to the infinite wisdom of God through complex geometric patterns. The complex Mathematics of girih tilings that adorn the Topkapi Palace and other great Islamic buildings like the Tomb of Hafez in Iran are testament to the great skill and craftsmanship of Islamic artists that are still baffling mathematicians today. Zillij was introduced to the imperial buildings of Morocco and Spain at the beginning in the mid-llth century by the Almoravid rulers. It was not until the Marinid dynasty, of Zenata Berber descent that ruled Morocco from the 13th to the 15th century, that zillinge was popularised both in the Magreb and Al-Andalus as can be seen in the Alhambra Palace. The centres of zillinge tile production are Fes and Meknes and at the beginning of the 13th century, a survey of the city ordered by the Almohad ruler al-Nasir Muhammad (1199-1213) counted 188 ceramic workshops in Fez alone. Zillinge is considered to be an art in itself and the Maalems (master craftsmen) learn the craft of zillinge from childhood and have passed on the skill for generations. 10 cm (4”) mother tiles are cut using a radius gauge, which gives the precision necessary to create the very precise geometric shapes, to create the furmah which are set into white plaster to form a geometric puzzle of great richness. There are 360 fumah shapes such as chevrons, triangles, hexagons, lozenges and diamonds. A meter square (39”) panel containing a 24 point star require about 5000 fumah. The zlayjis of Morocco see their craft as part of the spiritual world of Islam. Thousand of fumah come together to create a perfection that in never ending in its possibilities just as Gods universe is. Rashidi, a young fraash from Fez remarked "Stars are the idealised shapes among all of God's works. Their symmetry is perfect and their spacing is precise. Such perfection is not reached by creating them piece by piece” which indicated his belief that God’s infinite wisdom is made up of all the minutiae of the universe that surrounds us. The intricacy of Islamic art is overwhelming in the great mosques and palaces of the Islamic world. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free photos or as photo art prints.

Photos and pictures of Bardenas Reales Natural Park, Spain. Images of the Bardenas Reales rock formations. When travelling through the wine region of Rioja in northern Spain the last thing you expect to come across is a badlands area that looks more like Death Valley or Monument Valley in the USA than an area of Spain. This is the Bardenas Reales Natural Park which is an area located south of the Pyrenees Mountains in South East Navarre. The Bardenas Reales is 45 km (28 mi) from north to south and 24 km (15 mi) east-west and at an altitude ranging between 280 and 659 m (919 and 2,162 ft). While the Pyrenees and central Spanish mountains were being pushed up tremendous forces built up that caused the collapse of the Ebro Basin creating an inland sea. Sediments from the Pyrenees were washed down into the basin during the Eocene period 56 to 33 million years ago. Fine sand, clays and limestones settled in the deeper waters and as the sea filled up gravels and sands formed on top. Ten million years ago the basin opened up to the Mediterranean Sea and drained leaving harder sandstones onto of softer clays. Over the last ten million years water erosion has etched V shaped valleys and gullies into the rock and in the valley floors, as the clays were washed away, conical rock formations have formed capped with the harder sandstone rock. Today the Bardenas Reales Natural Park is a wonder land of rock formations with fertile field in between that grow cereal crops in the wet winters and early spring. By the summer though when the crops have been harvested and any shrubbery has been burt off by the summer sun, the Bardenas Reales become a desert region that resemble the set of a Spaghetti Western. You can’t help but feel that a stagecoach fleeing from Indians on horseback might appear at any moment around the next corner. The whole experience of the Bardenas Reales Natural Park is like walking into a movie. One of the main attractions of the Bardenas Reales is the Castildeterra, a tall conical rock formation capped by flat sandstone rocks. This is in the part of the Bardenas know as the Bardena Blanca. Driving into the Bardenas Bardena Blanca. is an incredible experience. Within a few minutes you leave the fertile plateau of Navarra and drop into the Bardenas basin. A dirt road runs around the central area of the park passing the main rock formation attractions. To add to the strangeness of the area at its centre is a military zone which at night becomes a target practice area for military fighter planes. You will find few more surprising places in Europe than the Bardenas Reales Natural Park. Its fragile landscape is unique and extraordinarily beautiful. Its a chance to get a real desert badlands experience right in the heart of Europe. Bardenas Reales Natural Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

High amongst the central Spanish Pyrenees mountains of the Alta Ribagorca in the Vall de Boi nestles the village of Taull. In the winter this has become a small ski resort but for hundreds of years the community that lives and farmed these mountains were left along guarded from the outside world by their remoteness. In this time warp Christianity developed churches following the Romanesque style which was typical of the 7th century to the 12th century when the style evolved into the Gothic. It was not until 1907 during a Pyrenean expedition by the Institut d’Estudis Catalan (Institute of Catalan Studies) that their art treasures were discovered. After their finding were published in a book foreign museums and collectors started to buy the Romanesque art of the Pyrenees so in 1919-23 the National Art Museum of Catalonia was able to successfully intervene in order to rescue the frescoes of Sant Clement de Taull and what was left of the churches interior is now housed in the museum in Barcelona. One of the best examples of these Romanesque church of Sant Clement de Taull, the largest in the Val de Boi, its characteristic Lombard architecture and interior decoration make it the symbol of Catalan Romanesque architecture. Its most imposing feature is its bell tower: it is square in plan and soars from a simulated solid base to six storeys.. The church is a basilica plan structure, that has three naves (each of them with a terminal apse), and large columns separating the side naves. The frescoes are characteristic of Catalan Romanesque which are influenced by Byzantine Roman Iconography conventions. In the apse above the altar is a fresco the Theophany which consist of Christ In Majesty or Pantocrator surrounded by and upright eye shaped mandorla around which are frescoes of the four tetramorphs or the four evangelists, Mathew depicted as a man, Mark as a lion, Luke as a Bull and John as an Eagle. Below this are frescoes of the Apostles of the Virgin Mary and the Apostles. In front of this are two triumphal arches. At the top of the first is a fresco of the “hand of God” (Dextra Domina) and at the top of the second is a fresco of the “Lamb of God (Agnus Dei). The Agnus Dei is a mystic lamb that is presented as having seven eyes and holds a book. On the left side of the same arc, there are scenes of Lazarus, who expresses grief while a dog licks his wounds at the door of a rich man. The columns are made of amalgamated stone, which support the arcades and the roof of the church has wooden beams. The first column on the north side of the church near the apse, was found to have the inscription of the consecration of the church. This document is painted with white letters on red and black background and is now preserved in the National Museum of Catalan Art. Church of Sant Clement de Taull is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our photos and pictures can be bought as stock photos or photo art prints on line.

San Joan de Boi is an important Romanesque church, now a museum, situated in the narrow Vall de Boí in the high Pyrenees, in the Alta Ribagorca region surrounded by steep mountains. Each village in the valley contains a Romanesque church, and is surrounded by a pattern of enclosed fields. The churches of the Vall de Boí are an especially pure and consistent example of Romanesque art in a virtually untouched rural setting. The group of churches is a remarkable example of an important constructional style in human history, like that of Romanesque art, to which it contributes characteristics that are appropriate to both its religious and its secular aspects. The Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula never penetrated the valleys, but they were exposed around the beginning of the 2nd millennium to cultural influences, brought there by merchants, by itinerant monks and by Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela. In the 11th century new cultural styles were brought into Catalonia from Italy, particularly Lombardy. This new cultural movement was late in reaching the remote Vall de Boí. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the building is located in the rock where the castle once stood Boi . It consists of three naves separated by arches , which correspond three apses cul- de-four at the bedside . The central apse has undergone changes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries , when the expansion of the village . The gabled roof is made of a wooden frame covered with slate. To the south is a twelfth- century Romanesque bell tower decorated with Lombard arches . The paintings preserved San Juan de Boi revealed a very original and icongrafic program. There stands a festive scene with jugglers and acrobats, which surprised a religious context but perhaps alludes to the celebrations associated with the consecration of the temple. There is also an extensive series devoted to the saints, it belongs to the well-known fragment of the stoning of St. Stephen, as well as a magnificent beasts intradoses located in the arches separating the ships, one of the largest and unique of all the Catalan Romanesque . Most of the paintings were taken in to the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona in 1919 using a technique known as the " strappo " because it was feared that these paintings - like many others in the Spanish Pyrenees - would be sold and shipped to abroad. Today the St. Joan de Boi has a copies of the original Romanesque frescoes which allows visitors to appreciate how the interior space would have been filled with vibrant Romanesque liturgical art. San Joan de Boi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photos of St Joan de Boi can be downloaded or bought as photo art prints on line from this photo gallery.

Photos of Emerita Augusta the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain. Emerita Augusta was founded in 25 BC and became the capital of the Roman Province of Lustania and today Merida is the capital of the Extremadura, western central Spain. The Roman ruins of Emerita Augusta n Merida are the most extensive in Spain and the well-preserved remains of the old city include, in particular, a large bridge over the river Guadiana, an amphitheatre, a theatre, a vast circus and an exceptional water-supply system. Merida is an excellent example of a provincial Roman imperial capital and is symbolic of the process of Romanisation in a land that had hitherto not been influenced by the urban phenomenon. The Roman ruins are so important that Merida was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Emerita was founded by Augustus in 25 BC at the end of his Spanish campaign. Its first inhabitants were time-expired veterans of the Legio V Alaudae and Legio X Gemina legions veterans of the Cantabrian Wars. Three years later it became the capital of the new Roman province of Lusitania, and played an important role as the base for the conquest of the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. Its site was a classic one, where a major road crossed an important river (the Quadiana), and it became a very important administrative, commercial, and communications centre. Emerita benefited from the rule of the Spanish Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Diocletian who endowed it with splendid public buildings. Christianity was established there in the 3rd century, and it was quickly to become the seat of an archbishop. With the pacification of the peninsula by the Visigoths from 457 onwards it flourished as the capital of one of the six provinces, and enjoyed a special role as cultural centre. As our photos show the Roman theatre is in incredible condition. The theatre of Merida was built from 16 to 15 BC and dedicated by the consul Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. It was renovated in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, possibly by the emperor Trajan, and again between 330 and 340 during Constantine's reign, when a walkway around the monument and new decorative elements were added. With the advent of Christianity as Rome's sole state religion, theatrical performances were officially declared immoral: the theatre was abandoned and most of its fabric was covered with earth, leaving only its upper tiers of seats (summa cavea). The Roman bridge over the River Guardiana spans 792 metres making it one of the largest surviving bridges of ancient times. The location of the bridge was carefully selected at a ford of the river Guadiana, which offered as a support a central island that divides it into two channels. In the Roman era the length was extended several times, adding at least five consecutive sections of arches so that the road is not cut during the periodic flooding of the Guadiana. Buy and download photos of Merida on line or by pictures and images as photo art prints.

Photos of Seville Spain and pictures of the Moorish architecture of the Alcazar of Seville. Seville is the capital of Andalusia situated on the River Guadalquivir in the south of Spain. Founded as the Roman city of Hispalis it fell to to Muslin conquest of the Iberian Penninsular in 712. Seville came under the rule of the Caliphate of Cordoba and from the 8th to the 13th century was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate followed by the Almoravid then Almohad dynasty. 500 years of Islamic rule has left Seville with a rich architectural heritage that was blended with the Gothic after it fell to Ferdinand II of Castille. The Cathedral of Seville is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world but its bell tower is an Islamic Berber square Mosque Minarette topped by a Gothic floor to hold the bells and today known as La Giralda. The Alcazar of Seville, the palace of the Islamic rulers of Seville, has pure arabesque architecture as well as parts of the palace that are Gothic and from the Renaissance. Seville is a reminder of the sophistication of the Islamic rulers that once governed the Hispanic Penninsular. The mathematic genius of the Islamic architects can be seem in the intricate plasterwork in the Alcazar and the palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. When the Patio de Las Doncellas was built by King Peter I (1350-1369), Islamic artisans from the Islamic Caliphate of Granada were employed to create a lavish Arabesque courtyard. The upper story of the Patio was an addition made by Charles V. The addition was designed by Luis de Vega in the style of the Italian Renaissance although he did include both Renaissance and mudéjar plaster work in the decorations. Construction of the addition began in 1540 and ended in 1572. Seville has the air of an important city and although it is built a long way inland it has a large important port that is still big enough for cruise ships to moor up in. Seville became the port of arrival for Spainish goods from the new world. The wealth this brought to the city can be seen in its fine buildings and parks creating a unified city that has missed the excesses of Spanish modernisation. Download photos, pictures and images of Seville as stock photos or photo art prints

Photos, pictures and images of the Alcazar of Seville, Spain. Seville was ounded as the Roman city of Hispalis it fell to to Muslin conquest of the Iberian Penninsular in 712. Seville came under the rule of the Caliphate of Cordoba and from the 8th to the 13th century was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate followed by the Almoravid then Almohad dynasty. 500 years of Islamic rule has left Seville with a rich architectural heritage and the Alcazar of Seville is one of the great buildings that shows the influence of Islamic culture on Spanish architecture. The original nucleus of the Alcázar was constructed in the 10th century as the palace of the Moslem governor, and is used even today as the Spanish royal family's residence in this city, thereby retaining the same purpose for which it was originally intended: as a residence of monarchs and heads of state. The Alcazar of Seville has pure arabesque architecture as well as parts of the palace that are Gothic and from the Renaissance. Seville is a reminder of the sophistication of the Islamic rulers that once governed the Hispanic Penninsular. The mathematic genius of the Islamic architects can be seem in the intricate plasterwork in the Alcazar and the palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Built and rebuilt from the early Middle Ages right up to our times, it consists of a group of palatial buildings and extensive gardens. The Alcázar embraces a rare compendium of cultures where areas of the original Almohad palace - such as the "Patio del Yeso" or the "Jardines del Crucero" - coexist with the Palacio de Pedro I representing Spanish Mudejar art, together with other constructions displaying every cultural style from the Renaissance to the Neoclassical. The Alcázar and its gardens is a palatial fortress erected beginning in 712 by the conquering Arabs to control the Guadalquivir. It boasts a crenellated enclosure from the Almohad period as well as several interior spaces dating from before the Reconquest. After 1248 it became a royal residence and was renovated under the reign of Peter the Cruel. The palace constructed in the interior of the Alcázar in 1364-66 illustrates the syncretism proper to Mudejar art which borrows its techniques and decorative expression from the Arabian art of Andalusia. The Patio de las Doncellas is evocative of a captivating aesthetic which survived Christianization with its finely worked stuccos, wooden artesonados ceilings, the azulejos of the galleries, and the fountain that rises in the middle of the courtyard. The work of decoration of the apartments, the fountains or the pavilions undertaken between the 15th and 17th centuries, partially respected the original palace, its general layout, and the traditional refinement of an Andalusian palace. Download photos, pictures and images of Seville as stock photos or photo art prints.

Pictures photos images of the Roman mosaics of the Alcázar of Córdoba Spain. The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle of the Christian Monarchs) is a medieval alcázar located in the historic centre of Córdoba (in Andalusia, Spain), next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Grand Mosque. The main hall houses Roman Mosaics. The Alcazars Roman mosaics were discovered at the Plaza de la Corredera in the 1950s and formed part of the Roman Circus and the Roman theatre of Cordoba. Visit our ROMAN MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Mosaics-Art-Pictures-Images/C0000LcfNel7FpLI Add photos of Sardis Roman Mosaic to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/roman-mosaic.html - Type - Cordoba - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, museum etc

Pictures & images of Venus Aphrodite Roman Statues - Cordoba Archaeological Museum, Spain

Pictures photos images of the Gothic art and artefacts from the MNAC museum collections, Barcelona. One of the most spectacular and important collections of Medieval Gothic art is in National Museum of Catalan Art ( Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya or MNAC), Barcelona, Spain. The MNAC collection of Gothic art shows Gothic sculpture and paintings from the 13th to 15th century. There are important sculptures in the Gothic collection by Jaume Cascalls and Pere Sanglada, and the paintings Pere Serra, Lluís Borrassà, Bernat Martorell and Jaume Huguet. The artworks cover works from different stylistic phases using the various different techniques (mural paintings; panel paintings; stone, ivory and wood sculpture; metalworking and enamels). The earliest Gothic art was monumental sculpture, on the walls of Cathedrals and abbeys.The Catalan Gothic style is tied closely to French Gothic although there ere influences from Italy as can be seen in the the Triptych of Sant Vicenç d'Estopanyà, probably by an immigrant Italian artist, and altarpieces by the Serra brothers. The Serra family were highly influential in steering the course of Catalan painting during the closing decades of the 14th century. Jaume Cascalls is one of the most important sculptors of the fourteenth century in Catalonia. This is borne out by his involvement over almost thirty years with the project of the royal pantheon in Poblet for King Peter the Ceremonious and with other large undertakings of the time. Today, on stylistic grounds, he is credited with this 'Head of Christ', which must have formed part of a sculptural group of the Holy Sepulchre.The collection go Gothic art at MNAC shows the development of the Gothic style from its stylistically naive beginnings to the great accomplishments of Jaume Cascalla. Like its Romanesque predecessor Gothic paintings are still two dimensional and heavily steeped in the iconography of the Roman Byzantine Empire that did not fall until 1453. The Head of Christ by Jaume Cascalls heralds the realistic humanist style of the Renaissance that will overtake the Gothic style in popularity. Download Pictures and images of the Gothic art and artefacts or buy as photo art prints on line. USEFUL LINKS Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_art Visit our MEDIEVAL GOTHIC ART PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Medieval-Gothic-Art-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000gZ8POl_DCqE Add photos of the Gothic Art paintings of the National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC) using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/gothic-art-antiquities.html . Type- MNAC - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, etc

MuseoPics on line photos of Roman statues exhibited at the The National Museum of Roman Art, Merida, Spain. Merida was founded in 25 BC to house discharged soldiers of the Army of Augustus and to protect the Roman Bridge that still spans the Guadiana River. Merida still boasts the ruins of Roman aqueducts, Theatre, Colosseum and Temples. The extensive excavations at Merida revealed many statues that are now housed in the new National Museum of Roman Art. Pictures and images of Roman mosaic exhibits from the National Museum of Roman Art can be bought on line as photo art prints or downloaded as high resolution stock photos.

Pictures & stock photos of the Roman Mosaics of Merida Museum Spain. Emerita Augusta, present day Merida, was on the far west of the Roman Empire in present day Spain. The ruins of Emerita Augusta are the most extensive in Spain and spread through the modern city with aqueducts and a Roman bridge. Emerita Augusta was founded by Augustus for the veteran soldiers of the Legio X Gemina legion. Merida archaeological museum houses the archaeological finds from Emerita Augusta, which include some fine Roman mosaics. Originally the Merida Archaeological Museum the Merida National Museum of Roman Art was inaugurated on September 19, 1986 in a purpose built Museum next to the Merida Archaeological site. the Merida National Museum of Roman Art not only houses the Archaeological finds from Roman Merida it was also a the first Spanish research centre of Roman culture and holds lectures, conferences and courses on the ancient Romans. The museum exhibits include Roman statues, mosaics and architectural features such sat Roman columns and Capitals and the museum artefacts inform us about the process of Romanisation of Hispania. Visit our ROMAN MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Mosaics-Art-Pictures-Images/C0000LcfNel7FpLI Add photos of Lod Museum Roman Mosaic to cart as royalty free download or prints or download from our Alamy Stock Library page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/roman-mosaic.html - Type - Merida - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, museum etc

Pictures & images of the exhibits of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (National Art Museum of Catalonia our MNAC), Barcelona. Situated on Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, near Pl Espanya. The museum is especially notable for its outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including modernisme and noucentisme. The Museum is housed in the Palau Nacional, a huge, Italian-style building dating to 1929. It is one of the most important and outstanding collections in the Museum, due largely to the series of mural paintings it includes. Indeed, the Museu Nacional Romanesque Collection is unmatched by that of any other museum in the world. Many of the works here originally adorned rural churches in the Pyrenees and other sites in Old Catalonia, or Catalunya Vella, as it is known; they began to be discovered and studied in the early 20th century, particularly after a Pyrenean expedition in 1907 by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies), which later published Les pintures murals catalanes (Catalan Mural Paintings). Years later, the news emerged that a group of foreign financiers and antiquarians had block-purchased most of these paintings to be taken to the United States of America. Although there were no laws in Spain at that time to forbid the expatriation of art, the Junta de Museus (Catalan Board of Museums) was able to successfully intervene in order to rescue, dismantle and transfer works to the Museum of Barcelona (1919–1923), then housed in the Parc de la Ciutadella, thus conserving and protecting these Romanesque works, considered a completely unique piece of art heritage and also a symbol of the birth and formation of Catalonia. The Gothic collection features a considerable number of Catalan works accompanied, moreover, by an extraordinary selection of pieces from the other territories that were once ruled by the Crown of Aragon. As a whole, this section presents a broad, representative panoramic view of Gothic art produced in the three large peninsular territories that formed part of the kingdom of Aragon – Catalonia, Aragon itself, and Valencia – as well as a more anecdotal selection of works from Majorca. The Gothic rooms display works from the late 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, arranged in chronological order, although the pieces are also grouped by school and typological affinity, and several thematic sections have been established. These include the renowned Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca, which preside over the first Gothic room. Download photos of the Gothic and Romanesque exhibits of the the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya or buy as photo art prints. For more informantion visit http://www.mnac.cat/index.jsp?lan=003

Pictures, images, photos of painted Gothic Altar Panels exhibited at the National Museum of Catalan Art, Barcelona. The pictures of these exhibits show one of the most important painted Gothic altar panel collections in Europe. Due to the remoteness of the villages and towns in northern Spain in the late Middle ages, many medieval painted altar panels survived in remote churches. The MNAC started collecting and preserving artworks from these churches when the altar panels stared to be exported to the USA in the 19th century. The images of the MNAC altar panels show the vibrance and creativity of Catalan Medieval artist. Subject matter ranges from the “Last Judgement “ which was a major preoccupation of medieval artists, to depictions of the loire of saints, the Virgin Mary and Christ. Many of the Altar panels have a series of small cameos that show scenes from the life of a saint or Christ. These are arranged in lines like a cartoon to create a narrative that is simple for the illiterate to follow. The simple direct style of these Catalan Gothic artworks build directly upon the style of Byzantine orthodox art. Its direct approach does not depend upon realism and the message is told simply and is surrounded by decorative designs that add richness to the artworks. Pictures and images of Gothic Altar Panels exhibits from the National Museum of Catalan Art can be bought on line as photo art prints or downloaded as high resolution stock photos. Add photos of the National Museum of Catalan Art Gothic Painted Panels using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/gothic-art-antiquities.html . Type- MNAC - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, museum etc

MuseoPics on line photos of Gothic Statues exhibited at the National Museum of Catalan Art, Barcelona. The pictures of these exhibits show Gothic religious statues made in Catalonia, Spain in the Middle ages. One of the great Gothic statue exhibits in the museum is the Gothic wood sculpture of the Head of Christ by Jaume Cascalls. Carved alabaster with polychrome and gilt remains. This head must have belonged to a Recumbent Christ which could have formed part of a sculptural group of the Holy Sepulchre. It probably came from the chapel of Corpus Christi of the convent of Sant Agustí Vell, Barcelona. Jaume Cascalls is one of the most important sculptors of the fourteenth century in Catalonia. This is borne out by his involvement over almost thirty years with the project of the royal pantheon in Poblet for King Peter the Ceremonious and with other large undertakings of the time. Today, on stylistic grounds, he is credited with this 'Head of Christ', which must have formed part of a sculptural group of the Holy Sepulchre, presumably from the church of the convent of Sant Agustí Vell in Barcelona. The National Museum of Catalan Art has an important collection of Catalan sculptures whose subject matter range from depictions of Christ on the Croos to Gothic wall panels. Pictures and images of Gothic Statues exhibits from the National Museum of Catalan Art can be bought on line as photo art prints or downloaded as high resolution stock photos.

Pictures photos and images of the Gothic sculptures of the National Museum of Catalan Art, Barcelona (MNAC). Add photos of Gothic stone relief panels from the National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC) using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/gothic-art-antiquities.html . Type- MNAC - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, museum etc

Pictures & images of painted Gothic Virgin Madonna and Child, or Madonna and Child statues exhibited at the National Museum of Catalan Art, Barcelona. The pictures of these exhibits show statues of one of the most important deities of the Christian pantheon. The Virgin Madonna has always been seen by Roman Catholics as an intercessor between man and Christ. Churches and shrines have been very important to Roman Catholics where prayers to the Virgin Madonna are hopefully passed straight onto Christ and in turn to God. The Virgin and Child must have been one of the most difficult interpretations for Medieval artists. The diverse depictions have a common look in which the Virgin Madonna is depicted as a solemn demure mother whose responsibility to nurture the Son of God is depicted by subtle facial expressions. The Medieval artist had not not yet been released by the Enlightenment and emotions are understated in Gothic Virgin and Child sculptures. They are though some of the most endearing sculptures of the Middle ages and the range of interpretations shows the range creative abilities of the Medieval artist. Pictures and images of Gothic Virgin Madonna and Child statues exhibits from the National Museum of Catalan Art can be bought on line as photo art prints or downloaded line. Non editorial & personal usage rights must be obtained from the MNAC Barcelona.

(updated 2021) Add photos of National Museum of Catalan Art Romanesque paintings using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/prehistoric-neolithic-art.html - Type- MNAC - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, subject etc Pictures photos images of the Romanesque panel paintings of the MNAC Barcelona. The MNAC’s ( Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) Eleventh and Twelfth century collection of Romanesque panel painting is one of the most important in the world, and is a beautiful testimony to the importance of the production of polychrome liturgical furniture in medieval Catalonia. The most significant works are the altar frontals, some complete with side panels, which show the extensive range of Romanesque iconography. Painted beams enrich the range of pieces in the collection. In the eleventh century painted altar fronts and liturgical furniture offered an affordable alternative to expensive furniture decorated with precious metals for less the less wealthy churches of Northern Spai. The high quality of the Romanesque Catalan painters suggests that they may have been a trained in cathedral or monastic scriptoria. The wood panels and beams are painted with Tempera, also known as egg tempera, which is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium (usually a glutinous material such as egg yolk or some other size). The Romanesque altar fronts follow popular themes of the Middle ages. Christ Pantocrator or In Majesty is a popular icon based on the Byzantine Roman iconography. The image is known as a Theophany, in which Christ is revealed as God. He is surrounded by a vertical eye shaped aureola called a mandorla which also originated from Byzantium. The Theophany is usually surrounded by a Tetramorph with the four symbols of the Evangelists - Mathew depicted as a man, Mark as a lion, Luke as a Bull and John as an Eagle. On other Romanesque Catalan altar fronts the Virgin Mary and Child take centre stage. The iconography also follows the Byzantine rules known as the Virgin Hodegetria, which is an iconographic depiction of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to Him as the source of salvation for mankind. In the Western Church this type of icon is sometimes called Our Lady of the Way. The Romanesque Panel paintings from the MNAC show a high level of skill that was influenced directly by Byzantine Roman art and it is possible that some of the workshops of Catalonia were run by Greek Icon painters. The paintings were made before the final schism between the Orthodox Eastern and Roman Catholic churches so influences imported from the East would have been quite acceptable at the time. Pictures of the Romanesque pictures can be downloaded or as photo art prints on line.

(updated 2021) Add photos of National Museum of Catalan Art Romanesque paintings using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/prehistoric-neolithic-art.html - Type- MNAC - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, subject etc Photos images photos of the National Museum of Catalan Art Eleventh and Twelfth century collection of Romanesque Fresco painting which is one of the most important in the world. The collection comprises whole Apse and wall paintings rescued from remote churches before they were completely destroyed. The impact of earlier major forms of liturgical decoration conditioned Catalan mural painting from the middle of the twelfth century onwards. The force of the groups from Taull is equally perceptible in the tendency to abstraction and geometry or in the liking for intense colours. Generally systematization of resources brings about a simplification of the style which moves away from a desire to be naturalistic. . At the end of the twelfth century medieval art received a new and powerful wave of Byzantine influence. European courts enthusiastically welcomed this new influx from the East, explained by the intensification of contacts between the West and the Byzantine Empire at the time of the Crusades. Romanesque art was formulated with a virtuous naturalism of the art of the Komnenoi dynasty, attracted by the classical appearance, sophisticated and ornamental, typical of the refined culture of Constantinople. In this respect, the trading vocation of the Catalan speaking territories and the first steps taken by the Crown of Aragon as a strong player in the European political game make Catalonia a very notable point of arrival and emergence of this twelfth century art, being directly linked by sea with the new Byzantine developments and with their Expansion to Sicily and southern Italy. The Romanesque frescoes follow popular themes of the Middle ages. Christ Pantocrator or In Majesty is a popular icon based on the Byzantine Roman iconography. The image is known as a Theophany, in which Christ is revealed as God. He is surrounded by a vertical eye shaped aureola called a mandorla which also originated from Byzantium. The Theophany is usually surrounded by a Tetramorph with the four symbols of the Evangelists - Mathew depicted as a man, Mark as a lion, Luke as a Bull and John as an Eagle. Photos of the Romanesque pictures can be downloaded as photo art prints on line from this gallery. USEFUL LINKS Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museu_Nacional_d%27Art_de_Catalunya Visit our ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE PHOTO COLLECTION for more photos to download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery/Romanesque-Statue-Sculptures-Pictures-Images/G0000ezFHYeF_xRI/C0000YpKXiAHnG2k

Pictures, image, photos of Gothic and Romanesque Enamel exhibited at the National Museum of Catalan Art, Barcelona against a warm art background. This picture gallery of Gothic Enamel shows typical examples of Gothic enamel work. Limoges in France was a centre of vitreous enamel production by the 12th century but the style was copied throughout Christendom. Champlevé enamels plaques and "chasse caskets" or reliquaries which were mass-produced and affordable for parish churches and the gentry. The enamel was usually applied on a copper base, but also sometimes on silver or gold. The metal was either cast or its surface was carved, etched or die struck with a design which was then filled with vitreous enamel. Mosan art is a regional style of art from the valley of the Meuse in present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Gothic enamel work was used to make varied objects from crosses and chalices to reliquaries. Its distinctive yellow metal designs against a blue enamel background are very easy to recognise. Pictures and images of Gothic Enamel from the Louvre can be bought on line as photo art prints or downloaded as high resolution stock photos. Add photos of the Limoges Enamel Medieval antiquities of the National Museum of Catalan Art Barcelona, using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/limoges-enamel-antiquities.html - Type- MNAC - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, museum etc

Pictures & images of Roman antiquities , mosaics & statues exhibited at the Seville Archaeological Museum, Spain. . The museum exhibits include the Roman Sculpture Venus of Italica or Diosa Venus, found in 1940 near the theatre. 117 AD. A famous Roman statue, the "Venus of Itálica", dates from the time of Hadrian (117-138 A.D.). Unlike the other Venus statues of the Era the Venus of Itálica does not try to hide her nudity but rather displays it. The state has rounded proportions with clearly defined anatomical features thanks to the exquisitely skilled carving, and the excellent quality of the marble. She is shown accompanied by a dolphin, and has a colocasia leaf in her left hand. Archaeological Museum, Seville, Spain Visit our ROMAN SCULPTURE PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Statues-Sculptures-Museum-Artefacts-Antiquities-Pictures-Images/C0000chqRcEqzsMM Download Pictures & images of Roman antiquities , mosaics & statues exhibited at the Seville Archaeological Museum

pictures images & photos from the Archeological Museum of Seville (Museo Arqueológico de Sevilla) exhibits. The Archeological Museum of Seville is in the Pabellón del Renacimiento built in Plaza Espana as a neo-Renaissance style pavilion for the Latin American Expo.Since 1942, the Archaeological Museum of Seville has housed one of the best archaeological collections in Spain. This collection of photos of the exhibits of the Archeological Museum of Seville contains photos of Roman statues and Mosaics and will explore Moorish Spain of the Middle Ages. Download photos of the exhibits of the Archeological Museum of Seville or buy as photo art prints online.