CHURRIGUERESCO: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, ARTISTS AND WORKS - ART - 2024

The churrigueresco is a unique style that was born in Spain from Baroque architecture. It was characterized by being only ornate decorations both on the outside and inside of the works, and represented the last stage of the decadence.

It was a style that took its name from the Spanish family of architects and sculptors Churriguera. Although they were not the main exponents of this style, it had architects such as Narciso Tomé, Pedro de Ribera and Lorenzo Rodríguez.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City with its facade of Churrigueresque elements. Source: Jorge Láscar from Australia, via Wikimedia Commons.

Churrigueresque was a style that was visually irritable, with a notable presence of decorative elements with rather extravagant characteristics. They consciously sought to overwhelm the spectators.

Although in periods it coincides with the Rococo style, the Churrigueresque does not resemble it. His most representative works are in the countries that were Spanish colonial, but more specifically in Mexico.

To the Churrigueresque style in Mexico, characteristics of local art were added, which enriched and gave more importance to these artistic expressions. The columns became one of the most identifying elements of the Churrigueresque.

Origin and history

The churrigueresque was considered as a simultaneous style to the Rococo. Rococó was a style that in Spain had no greater production or importance, since it was considered as one more artistic expression of the elites. Therefore, the Baroque in Spain was transformed rather into ornate decorations, which was finally called Churrigueresque.

This style received its name from the works of the Churriguera brothers (José Benito, Joaquín and Alberto), who stood out as architects and sculptors of the time, although in Mexico it was Jerónimo de Balbás who influenced the most with their works.

It was a style that had a slow development. During the middle of the 17th century, some samples of the Churrigueresque style were already seen, although it was the first years of the 18th century that Churrigueresque began in Spain. While it was academic neoclassicism in charge of putting an end to Churrigueresque artistic expressions.

Between the years 1720 and 1760 the stipes, or columns in the shape of an inverted pyramid, were consolidated as the main feature of the decoration of this period.

From the year 1760 the artistic expressions were moving away from the ornate elements. Until finally in 1790 the churrigueresque came to an end, thanks to the neoclassical movements, focused more on works that bet on harmony or the moderation of things.

characteristics

The main characteristic of the Churrigueresque was the use of stipes. These columns consisted of pillars that were narrower at the bottom than at the top; that is, they had similarities to an inverted pyramid.

These columns were divided into sections; they were a geometric representation of the human body.

It was a style considered anti-functional by its detractors, since it was only based on ornaments. Structural elements like the columns that were used, had no support.

Everything was concentrated on the details at a superficial level, on how the lights impacted and managed to generate shadows on the stone.

Also present were the Solomonic columns, which were initially conceived in Rome, Italy. While the stipes originated in Greece.

It was not considered as an architectural style. Rather, he referred to a sculpture and decoration movement.

Although Spain and Mexico are the countries with the greatest Churrigueresque influence, Peru also featured works with elements of this artistic style.

Featured Artists and Works

The Churrigueresque was named after the Churriguera brothers, who despite having several works during this period, are not considered the most consistent exponents of the ideas of this movement.

The Churriguera brothers

He was born in 1665 in Madrid. At the end of the 18th century he moved to Salamanca where he was in charge of the altarpiece of San Esteban, one of the most characteristic works of the period. He was also in charge, at the request of a banker, of the facades of the current Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid.

He worked alongside his brothers Joaquín and Alberto, both younger than him and born in Madrid. Joaquín stood out in works such as the Hospedería del Colegio Anaya and the dome of the new cathedral in Salamanca.

Alberto, for his part, worked in Salamanca in the construction of the Plaza Mayor and the church of San Sebastián.

Narcissus Tome

He was in charge of making the Transparente, a work that was designed for the Cathedral of Toledo and that was completed in 1732. This work represented one of the main expressions of the Churrigueresque style. In it he worked with his brothers, Andrés and Diego.

El Transparente was a work that brought together elements of sculpture, painting and architecture, with light effects that gave the work great theatricality.

Tomé designed a place in which the Blessed Sacrament was placed inside a container that was transparent and could be seen by all present. It had sculpted clouds, golden rays and angels that were carved.

Pedro de Ribera

The most important exponent of the Churrigueresque style was incredibly Pedro de Ribera and not the Churriguera brothers, although he was a disciple of José Benito de Churriguera. Ribera was a Spanish architect, born in Madrid.

He even surpassed his master in the excessive use of decorations. His works include the Hermitage of the Virgen del Puerto or the Toledo bridge. Several sources bear his signature, such as La Fama, Santa María la Real de Montserrat. In addition, he worked in palaces such as Santoña, Perales and also in Miraflores.

Jerónimo de Balbás

The Andalusian was the one who brought the Churrigueresque style to Mexico, thanks to his work on the three altarpieces (Perdón, Reyes y Mayor) in the Mexican Cathedral. Due to the space that the ornate decorations had to occupy, the magnitude of the work seemed important and risky. His work was developed between the years 1718 and 1736.

Lorenzo Rodriguez

He was an Andalusian architect. He had a lot of influence from Jerónimo de Balbás. He arrived in Mexico in 1731. His most representative work of the Churrigueresque style was the facade of the San Ildefonso school, which had a great presence of the stipes, and the Metropolitan Sagrario, which was designed by Rodríguez and built between the years 1749 and 1760.

Felipe Ureña

Although Spanish architects stood out in Mexican lands, there were also local artists who were influenced by the trends that came from the old continent.

Felipe Ureña was born in Toluca and it is said that he used stipes since 1729. The church of La Compañía, in Guanajuato, was his most important work within the Churrigueresque style.

In Mexico

Churrigueresque in Mexico was obviously born as a consequence of the movement that developed in Spain. His arrival in the country was mainly due to the dominance exercised by the Spanish Crown over certain territories of the American continent during that time.

This stage was given the name of anti-classical baroque in America, specifically in Mexico and Peru.

What characterized the Churrigueresque style in a special way in Mexico was the use they made of color and decorations. The ornamentation was very luxurious and was used to cover the facades and some areas at the top of the towers.

In the interior part of the buildings that were built, the churrigueresque was very present in the altarpieces that were at the back of the altars. These altarpieces echoed or repeated elements present on the facades.

The wood was carved and was made up of different figures. There were shapes of cherubs, fruits, flowers, and human heads.

In Mexico, the Churrigueresque style was a variant of the Baroque movement, with less force than the Gothic. It represented the confidence and pride of those who financed these luxurious works.

Although he was heavily influenced by Spain, local skills were also highlighted. The art of carving was due to the great skill that the Aztecs had to mold; while the use of color is a notorious influence of the Mayans, who covered their stones in the past.

The Churrigueresque style in Mexico was declining at the end of the 18th century, due to the influence of classicism, which was arriving in the country at the hands of Manuel Tolosa in 1770. After this stage, it was when Mexico lived its best years in terms of the architecture.

In Spain

It began as a way of decorating in which stucco (white plaster mass) was used and which started during the last years of the 17th century. It was derived from the Baroque and had a great impact on the American continent, especially in its colonies.

Each area of ​​Spain had a work or some characteristics that differentiated it from other parts of the country. In the area of ​​Castilla the Churriguera stood out. In Andalusia, Alonso Cano was in charge of the facade of the Cathedral of Granada.

For its part, in Galicia, granite was widely used. The ornate ornamentation had a geometric purpose. Although in other areas of Spain works with a decorative excess were also designed.

References

1. Flores Torres, O. (2003). Historians of Mexico 20th century. Mexico: Trillas.
2. Maza, F. (1969). The churrigueresco in Mexico City. Mexico: Economic Culture Fund.
3. Pla i Dalmau, J. (1951). The Spanish Baroque Architecture and the Churrigueresque.. Pp. 132. Gerona, Madrid.
4. Rodríguez Gutiérrez de Ceballos, A. (1971). The Churriguera. Madrid: Diego Velázquez Institute.
5. Roig, J. (1996). Ornamental architecture. Caracas, Venezuela: Equinox.