This stunning book covers the historic, literary and artistic grandeur of Spain during its Golden Age (1492 1659). This period, marked by conquest and Catholicism, the writings of Miguel de Cervantes, and the paintings of El Greco, ended in a blaze of glory with the paintings of Diego Velázquez. Stunning works of the Golden Age include José de Ribera s Immaculate Conception and El Greco s many disturbing paintings for El Escorial, the enormous and magnificent monastery that was the seat of the Spanish monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church. Here, Joan Sureda places the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Golden Age in a cultural, historical and aesthetic context. It is the first book in English to explore Golden Age paintings alongside architecture and sculpture to give a complete picture of the era. This is a monumental achievement: all of the artworks have been specially photographed for the book, which will be published simultaneously in English, Russian and French.