The Galerie Espagnole and the Museo Nacional 1835–1853 Saving Spanish Art, or the Politics of Patrimony

An important and critical re-evaluation of the Galerie Espagnole, this book presents new interpretations of the special collection of Spanish (or purportedly Spanish) paintings formed under Louis-Philippe and exhibited in the Louvre from 1838 through 1848. Alisa Luxenberg undertakes a new examination of the Parisian collection in relation to its lesser-known Spanish homologue, the Museo Nacional in Madrid, a collection of mostly old master Spanish paintings and sculptures that was formed at the very same time. Revealing the political agendas behind each museum, and the different manners in which their goals were pursued, Luxenberg analyzes the critical and visual reception of the collections as well as their intersection with contemporary debates about aesthetics and patrimony, the role of the art museum, and national and international politics.

Contents: The two museums from a trans-Pyrenean perspective; The Galerie Espagnole: content and critical reception in France; The protagonists and their priorities; Conception: precedents and provocations; Creation: the mission; Responses in Spain to Taylor's mission and the Galerie Espagnole; The Spanish galleries: the Museo Nacional and Museos Provinciales; Rethinking the visual legacy of the Galerie Espagnole; Closing thoughts; Bibliography; Index.

Alisa Luxenberg is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Georgia, USA.