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.
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- Crumbling walls of the Jewish quarter
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- Moorish walls of the Great Mosque “La Mezquita”
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- I can’t help but notice the unwelcome intrusion of the long-life lightbulb in this otherwise decadent scene
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- The stunning exterior of La Mezquita
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- Looking into one of Cordoba’s famous patio gardens
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- The back of the Mosque
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- The heavily baroque intervention of the Catholic architects jar with the Islamic mosque beyond
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- Golden gateway to La Mezquita
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- Idyllic Andalucia: horse and cart (for tourists) trotting along the old narrow streets
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- An industrious way of keeping the streets cool
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- La Mezquita’s Baroque bell tower
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- The golden gates of La Mezquita glow at night as they reflect nearby street lamps
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- Our first view of the famous red and white arches was through a tiny crack in a door to the Mosque
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- The naturally cold fountains of La Mezquita – thanks to Moorish irrigation innovations
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- The bell tower of La Mezquita seen from El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
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- Water ripples in El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
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- Ferdinand and Isobella – the conquering Catholic kings – in the gardens of El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
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- The jarring enforced synthesis of Islam and Christianity
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- The famous arches of La Mezquita
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- It’s hard to show with a camera just how vast this forest of arches is
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- Islamic decoration inside the Mosque
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- Stunning Islamic dome in a side chapel of La Mezquita
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- Christian vandalism – attempts to Christianise the Islamic arches in La Mezquita with frescoes
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- The vast, towering interjection of the Catholic cathedral in the middle of the Mosque
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- The Christian cathedral sitting upon and growing out of the original Islamic arches
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- The uncomfortable mixture of Christian baroque and Moorish architecture
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- The hotel pool – saviour in the heat and inspiration for the bottom of my painting
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- I was fascinated by the effect of light and reflection in the pool water
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Related articles
- Sunday Supplement: Córdoba (normsonline.wordpress.com)
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This post just really makes me want to visit Cordoba.
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!