Lecture 1 - Philip II of Spain: Blinded by Faith

Philip II of Spain was to many an enigma, both in his lifetime as now. He combined an unerring eye for art while blinded by religious prejudice to the realities of the exercise of power. Strategic capital gained via victories such as the defeat of the Turks at Lepanto was squandered in, for example, his quest to conquer England with the launch of several 'Armadas'. However, his greatest error was his treatment of his Protestant subjects in the Spanish Netherlands - a 'Spanish Fury' the flames of which would linger for several generations. Yet, this most devout of Catholics had a sensuous side to his character and he was one of Titian's most perceptive patrons. Indeed, his 'eye' was acute and wide ranging, delighting not just in the poetic nudes of Titian but also in the bizarre creations of Bosch and the consolation of van der Weyden's religious masterpieces. Yet, to modern eyes it is the monastery cum palace of San Lorenzo, known as El Escorial, which captures the essence of this monarch - austere, labyrinthine and unyielding.