The arrival of Europeans in the Americas from Spain brought about a sequence of events that saw one culture unceremoniously supplant the other. This is one of the subjects explored in Spain and the Hispanic World, a remarkable and in-depth exhibition presented at The Royal Academy of London until 10th April 2023.

Maps, objects, sculptures, textile, and paintings feature in this show and document these encounters. These work challenge the often glorified versions penned by conquistadores, presenting an alternate and more realistic narrative of what took place during those tumultuous years.

Founded in New York in 1904 by Archer M. Huntington, the Hispanic Society Museum & Library is home to the most extensive collection of Spanish and Hispanic art outside of Spain. All works are on loan from this collection and this is the first time it is presented in the UK.

From Francisco de Goya and Diego Velázquez to Andrea de Mena and José Agustín Arrieta, about ten of these significant artists and luminaries feature in the show.

Highlights include the famous World Map of 1526 by Giovanni Vespucci. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see such a rare document. The exhibition also include beautiful paintings by Luis de Morales (1510/11-1586), El Greco (1541-1614) and Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664). The exhibition culminates with Sorolla’s colourful, large-scale study for his monumental series of 14 paintings, Vision of Spain.

Of the hundreds of known Goya drawings and paintings, one of his most iconic images, The Duchess of Alba, resides in the Hispanic Society Museum & Library’s covered courtyard. Signed in the sand with the words ‘Solo Goya’ (‘Only Goya’), this painting had great personal significance for the artist, who kept it in his studio long after the Duchess’s death

Exceptional paintings include Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, c. 1625-26, and the enigmatic Portrait of a Girl, c. 1638-42, by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660). It’s a must-see.