Premiere of Splendor and Passion: Baroque Spain and Its Empire at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Museum. 

ByHeather Redlich

The Boca Raton Museum of Art proudly announces the world premiere of the historic Spanish Baroque art exhibition, Splendor and Passion: Baroque Spain and Its Empire, set to open this November as the Museum celebrates its landmark 75th anniversary. This captivating exhibition – organized in partnership with the Hispanic Society Museum & Library in New York City – will feature a breathtaking collection of

Baroque masterpieces, offering an unparalleled glimpse into the dynamic and emotive art of the 16th and 17th century. Visitors will experience Spain’s rich artistic heritage during a transformative era through this rare collection.

Exhibition Details:

  • ●  Exhibition Name: Splendor and Passion: Baroque Spain and Its Empire
  • ●  Exhibition Dates: November 7, 2024-March 30, 2025
  • ●  Location: Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432The world premiere of Splendor and Passion explores the prominent art and history of Spain beginning with its Siglo de Oro (Golden Age), drawing from the extraordinary riches of The Hispanic Society Museum & Library’s collection of Renaissance and Baroque holdings. This period saw the rise of the globe-spanning Spanish Empire and its growing influence on Europe and the Americas. Splendor and Passion offers an unparalleled opportunity for the public to see 57 masterpieces from this formative era of Spanish history by some of the period’s most renowned artists including El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and Diego Velázquez.”We are thrilled to partner with the Boca Raton Museum of Art for the world premiere of Splendor and Passion, says Guillaume Kientz, CEO & Director of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. “This exhibition presents a unique opportunity to showcase the extraordinary richness of Spain’s Golden Age, featuring masterpieces from our collection that vividly illustrate the profound cultural and artistic achievements of the era. We believe that this remarkable exhibition will provide visitors with an unparalleled experience of Spanish Baroque art and its significant impact on the global stage.”To coincide with the exhibition, the Museum will feature Las Meninas from an Artificial Light, a meticulous copy of Velázquez’s famous painting that hangs in the El Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. This work by contemporary Spanish conceptual artist Félix De La Concha is painted in oil on 140 sheets of 9 by 12-inch paper. Together, these fragments reconstruct the real size of the Velázquez masterpiece, which measures 125 by 108 inches. De La Concha reproduced this masterpiece with the patience of a copyist, but instead of working in front of the original at the Prado, he painted it entirely from a high-resolution reproduction available online.Additionally, on view will be a triptych by Félix De La Concha, commissioned by the Museum as a tribute to the City of Boca Raton’s centennial celebration in 2025. Painted en plein air, it depicts the important crossroads of Dixie Highway, the Flagler railroad, and Camino Real, with Addison Mizner’s administrative building as the centerpiece.In honor of the Boca Raton Museum of Art’s 75th anniversary, the Museum will host a series of special events and programs including curator talks, a Spanish film festival series, wine tastings from the vineyards of Spain, and educational experiences. Additionally, an array of cultural events will be held, culminating in a grand gala on January 25th, 2025.

The celebratory activities will include exclusive guided tours, and educational programs designed to honor Spanish heritage.

“The Museum’s 75th anniversary coinciding with Boca Raton’s 100th anniversary called for a very special exhibition,” said Irvin Lippman, Executive Director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. “Splendor and Passion offers a rare glimpse into Spain’s rich artistic heritage during a dynamic, transformative, and complex era of colonial expansion. Accompanied by a robust array of public programs and special events, the Museum launches an outstanding season, further establishing itself as a cultural touchstone in South Florida.”

Special Anniversary Programs:

  • ●  Sponsors Preview: November 6, 2024
  • ●  Lectures: Adam Jasienski, December 8, 2024; Amanda Dotseth, January 19, 2025;Jonathan Ray, February 9, 2025
  • ●  Exclusive Guided Tours: November, 2024 through March, 2025
  • ●  Film Series: January 16, 23, 30 and February 6, 2025
  • ●  Diamond Anniversary Gala: January 25, 2025
  • ●  Symposium: February 22, 2025
  • ●  Flamenco Performances: February through March, 2025For more information about the Splendor and Passion: Baroque Spain and Its Empire exhibition, the 75th-anniversary celebrations, membership, and admission, contact the Boca Raton Museum of Art at 561-392-2500 or visit online at bocamuseum.org. Join the Museum’s email list online for a sneak preview of more exciting events that will be added to the 2024-2025 season, plus invitations to exclusive member experiences.Photography:
    Boca Raton Museum of Art (LINK to DropBox)Follow Us:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bocamuseum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bocamuseum/Join us from November 7, 2024, to March 30, 2025, for a celebration of art, history and cultural heritage as the Boca Raton Museum of Art proudly presents the world premiere of the Baroque Art Exhibition and commemorates 75 years of enriching the community through art.About The Boca Raton Museum of ArtFounded by artists in 1950 as the Art Guild of Boca Raton, the Boca Raton Museum of Art has evolved into a vital cultural resource. The Museum’s original building on Palmetto Park Road now serves as the Museum’s Art School, nestled within a 3-acre sculpture park. In 2001, the Museum was provided land in Mizner Park, a mixed-use area in downtown Boca

Raton. Designed by Donald Singer, the current Museum facility, with its bold volumes and emblematic design, reflects the spirit of Addison Mizner’s Mediterranean Revival architecture of the 1920s that provided an indelible mark on Boca Raton. Located in Palm Beach County, the Museum attracts visitors from a wide range of regions, with nearly 50% being cultural tourists from drive markets or out-of-state, underscoring the appeal of its reputation, quality of programs, and supporting the Museum’s mission to be a vital cultural resource dedicated to the creative life.

About The Hispanic Society Museum & Library

The Hispanic Society Museum & Library (HSM&L) is the primary institution and reference library dedicated solely to the preservation, study, understanding, exhibition and enjoyment of art and cultures of Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries and communities. Located in Upper Manhattan in the dynamic Washington Heights neighborhood, the institution has, since its inception, remained free of charge, providing unrivaled access to the most extensive collection of Hispanic art and literature outside of Spain and Latin America.

The HSM&L’s permanent collection is unparalleled in its scope and quality, with half a million items that address nearly every aspect of cultures in Spain, Portugal and Latin America from antiquity to present day. HSM&L is unmatched in the multidisciplinarity and broad historical and geographical extension of its art collection and library, highlighting Hispanic art and cultures’ incredible breadth as seen through its diverse religious, cultural and geographical influences. The collection includes masterworks by El Greco, Velázquez, Rodríguez Juárez, Goya, Campeche, Arrieta, Sorolla, Orozco and Tàpies; sculptures by Pedro de Mena, Luisa Roldán and Caspicara and masterpieces in all areas of the decorative arts. The collections of the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books are among the most extensive outside Spain and the Library is available as a preeminent center for research on the history, art, and cultures of the Hispanic world. It is open to the public by appointment.

Founded in 1904 by American scholar, philanthropist and collector Archer M. Huntington, the HSM&L was established on the premise of a passion and curiosity for Hispanic and Latin American art, cultures and history. While the HSM&L is one of the most historic cultural institutions in New York City, the organization has continued to adapt and serve the local community and growing Hispanic and Latino populations in the United States at large, opening its doors to inspire, enrich and educate the public.

Under the stewardship of CEO and Director Guillaume Kientz and in the spirit of inclusivity, HSM&L makes a fervent commitment to give voice to and provide space for Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking communities and cultures. Through special exhibitions, a permanent collection, loans, education, support of living artists, public programming and research, HSM&L continues to reimagine the potential for a museum and its ability to incite greater change. This exhibition was organized by The Hispanic Society Museum & Library, with support from The Museum Box.