Name: Exchange: Five Great Artists from Spain’s Golden Age
Start: 2026-01-26T10:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-01-26T12:00:00-07:00
Location: 6007 Oreg Ave, Boulder, CO, United States, Colorado 80303

$Exchange: Five Great Artists from Spain\u2019s Golden Age$

Mondays, January 26 - February 9 | 10 am - 12 pm | $36 | 3 weeks
Instructor: Marcie Gorman Smith
After the conquest of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) and the expulsion of the Jews, the Christian kingdoms of Spain united under the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, into a single state. This era saw a boom in literature and the arts in Spain. Spanish artists studied under and were influenced by many of the great Renaissance Italian, Venetian, and Flemish painters.
Five Spanish painters who rose to prominence during this Baroque period were: El Greco, Velázquez, Ribera, Zurbarán, and Murillo. At first glance, their work appears to be Christian tributes, but as we delve deeper into their artistry, we discover so much more.
We examine these artists in historical context—how the political, cultural, and religious shifts in Spain from the late 1200s to 1600s affected their subjects and techniques. We explore the relationship these artists had with their Renaissance predecessors and how these Golden Age heroes influenced the next century of European art. This class is mostly lecture using slides and videos. If you are curious about this period and/or this region, or have a passion for art, learn and contribute to the discussion.
About Your Instructor
Marcie Gorman Smith has a passion for travel and art. During her most recent five-week trip to Spain, she visited many museums and developed an appreciation for Spain’s Golden Age masters. While the Renaissance and Baroque are not her favorite periods of art, she gathered a great deal of information that might change your mind about them. Before retiring, Smith was a marketing executive at companies such as Warner Brothers Records and Polaroid, as well as at non-profit organizations focused on education and adult learning. She is one of the founding members of the EXCHANGE Program committee. She has also worked and taught classes with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Denver. Smith holds a BS in Marketing and a minor in Art History and has extensive education in Marketing disciplines and Leadership.