It was only toward the end of the century that a genius appeared who truly incarnated the dark, mystical Spanish Fine art - El Greco. With roots in the Byzantine and Venetian traditions and in his very personal version of mannerism, El Greco translated aspects of Italian form in terms of his own highly spiritual, incandescent vision.

  The baroque period (17th- mid 18th-century) was marked by decisive affirmation of native taste and individual spanish artists in all the arts. The outstanding master of the period was Velazquez, one of the greatest spanish artists in the history of fine art. His paintings are admired as much for their display of technical virtuosity as for their profundity of characterization. The works of Murillo revealed a tendency to lyricism and decorative effects.

  Under the Bourbons there was strong reaction against the individualism and exuberance of late baroque Spain fine art. The great exception to the general decline was Francisco Goya, who detailed in his works the corruption and brutality of this era in Spanish history.