Spain in the age of exploration: "the Royal Court ... used the enlargement of the Spanish realm not only to increase the Crown's resources, but to gather knowledge that enriched European understanding of the wider world.".

• Position: Museums Today

SPAIN in the Age of Exploration: 1492-1819," which includes objects culled largely from the Old World country's royal collections, features more than 100 works of art and science, many never having traveled to the U.S. before. Included are sculptures, tapestries, scientific instruments, maps, armor, books, and paintings by artists such as El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Tiziano Vecellio (aka Titian), Gianlorenzo Bernini, Diego Velazquez, and Francisco de Goya.

The exhibition's central theme is exploration--how the Royal Court, beginning with Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, used the enlargement of the Spanish realm not only to increase the Crown's resources, but to gather knowledge that enriched European understanding of the wider world. "Age of Exploration" focuses on Spain's historic perception of itself and its global role, starting with Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage to the New World and continuing through the late 18th century, with royally sponsored expeditions to North America's northwest coast. The most recent works date to 1819, the year of the Adams-Onis treaty, in which Spain ceded control of the Northwest and Florida territories to the U.S. The exhibition even lured King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain to America's shores, as the royal pair made a special trip to the Seattle Art Museum in order to view the objects on display--and they shared their tour with a group of fifth-graders from a local elementary school.

Four primary themes are explored: Image of Empire; Spirituality and Worldliness; Encounters across Cultures; and Science and the Court. Chronologically organized, the exhibition begins with artifacts from the time of Columbus' historic trip across the ocean. With that voyage, Isabel and Ferdinand saw a chance to enlarge the Spanish kingdom, enrich the Crown's wealth, and disseminate Christianity. The early excitement over unfamiliar civilizations, previously undocumented flora and fauna, and the wealth of natural resources is recorded in illustrated maps, manuscripts, and documents.

Succeeding generations of Spanish Habsburg rulers also sponsored exploration, while simultaneously promoting Catholicism domestically and abroad. Their policies resulted in a fascinating mixture of scientific advances, international exchange, elevated artistic taste, and religious imagery on both sides of the Atlantic. Highlights include the Bosch masterpiece, "Christ Carrying the Cross" (1505-07), a selection of exquisite works by...