Art Review: Hispanic Society of America Spanish Style Exhibition

One thing that enquiring minds don’t ask anymore is whether the Hispanic Society is worth a visit. Those in the know understand that this unique, fantastic museum in Hamilton Heights in Manhattan is always a treat. It’s the best collection of Spanish art outside Spain — think El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo, Goya — and a revered rare-book and manuscript library, both in an art palace on Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets. This might seem like adventure travel, but it’s a unique national treasure. I’ve written about it off and on for years, calling it “the greatest museum no one knows,” but that “no one knows” might be outdated. Through good exhibitions, a traveling treasures show, an energetic director, a new potentate board, an essential, gradual renovation, and something approaching financial stability, word’s gotten out.

For example, its Visions of Spain — 14 monumental paintings of life in each of Spain’s provinces, painted by Joaquín Sorolla between 1913 and 1919 — has got to be one of the magnificent art spaces in America.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

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One thing that enquiring minds don’t ask anymore is whether the Hispanic Society is worth a visit. Those in the know understand that this unique, fantastic museum in Hamilton Heights in Manhattan is always a treat. It’s the best collection of Spanish art outside Spain — think El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo, Goya — and a revered rare-book and manuscript library, both in an art palace on Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets. This might seem like adventure travel, but it’s a unique national treasure. I’ve written about it off and on for years, calling it “the greatest museum no one knows,” but that “no one knows” might be outdated. Through good exhibitions, a traveling treasures show, an energetic director, a new potentate board, an essential, gradual renovation, and something approaching financial stability, word’s gotten out.

For example, its Visions of Spain — 14 monumental paintings of life in each of Spain’s provinces, painted by Joaquín Sorolla between 1913 and 1919 — has got to be one of the magnificent art spaces in America.