Córdoba: The city which inspired the painting

It’s my last dip into the Iberian peninsular before I go all Valentines on you… Following yesterday’s Sunday Supplement in which I introduced my painting, Córdoba, here are my photos of the city which inspired the work.

Córdoba is a unique little place. It doesn’t share the same thriving spirit as Seville or Granada for example, at least not in the very self-contained old town which looks and feels very much like a living museum given over to the tourists. Asides from La Mezquita at its centre, there are a few quaint art museums and an excellent archeological museum, but otherwise there is not a huge amount to see. Surprisingly, it did make the short list for Spain’s European Capital of Culture in 2016 which scandalously Malaga, home of the great Picasso Museum, a flashy new airport, a thriving city and a contemporary art museum, did not. Having said this, Córdoba is a crucial visit for those with an interest in Spain’s rich cultural heritage, and in particular its Moorish past. Should you go, be sure to sample Berejenas Fritas – deep fried aubergine served with a syrupy sauce – divine.

Below are a selection of the photos I took when in Córdoba. If you saw my post yesterday, you’ll recognise the crumbling facades, elegant wrought-iron lamps, the quenching relief of a hotel swimming pool, and that shameful architectural vandalism which took place in the great mosque after the Christian reconquista. This is a city where history is not only preserved, but the wounds of the past are still uncomfortably evident.

: Crumbling walls of the Jewish quarter

: Moorish walls of the Great Mosque “La Mezquita”

: I can’t help but notice the unwelcome intrusion of the long-life lightbulb in this otherwise decadent scene

: The stunning exterior of La Mezquita

: Looking into one of Cordoba’s famous patio gardens

: The back of the Mosque

: The heavily baroque intervention of the Catholic architects jar with the Islamic mosque beyond

: Golden gateway to La Mezquita

: Idyllic Andalucia: horse and cart (for tourists) trotting along the old narrow streets

: An industrious way of keeping the streets cool

: La Mezquita’s Baroque bell tower

: The golden gates of La Mezquita glow at night as they reflect nearby street lamps

: Our first view of the famous red and white arches was through a tiny crack in a door to the Mosque

: The naturally cold fountains of La Mezquita – thanks to Moorish irrigation innovations

: The bell tower of La Mezquita seen from El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

: Water ripples in El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

: Ferdinand and Isobella – the conquering Catholic kings – in the gardens of El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

: The jarring enforced synthesis of Islam and Christianity

: The famous arches of La Mezquita

: It’s hard to show with a camera just how vast this forest of arches is

: Islamic decoration inside the Mosque

: Stunning Islamic dome in a side chapel of La Mezquita

: Christian vandalism – attempts to Christianise the Islamic arches in La Mezquita with frescoes

: The vast, towering interjection of the Catholic cathedral in the middle of the Mosque

: The Christian cathedral sitting upon and growing out of the original Islamic arches

: The uncomfortable mixture of Christian baroque and Moorish architecture

: The hotel pool – saviour in the heat and inspiration for the bottom of my painting

: I was fascinated by the effect of light and reflection in the pool water

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2005-2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

This post just really makes me want to visit Cordoba.

By Inga on February 13, 2012 at 11:46 am

Good! In that case I have done the city justice… you should definitely make a visit, and then go on to Seville and Granada… Southern Spain’s incredible cultural triumvirate. Many thanks for your support of my blog!

By delacybrown on February 13, 2012 at 1:06 pm

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