Introduction to the Exhibition—Alonso Berruguete: First Sculptor of Renaissance Spain

C. D. Dickerson III, curator and head of sculpture and decorative arts, National Gallery of Art Alonso Berruguete, active on the Iberian Peninsula during the first half of the 16th century, initially trained as a painter before becoming known for his painted sculptures in wood. Alonso Berruguete: First Sculptor of Renaissance Spain is the first major exhibition held outside Spain to celebrate Berruguete’s expressive art. The exhibition presents more than 40 works from across the artist’s career, including early paintings and the largest group of his drawings ever to be assembled, along with an unprecedented number of sculptures. These works range from single figures to large sections of multistory altarpieces, or retablos, that combine reliefs, statues, paintings, and architectural details. In this lecture, delivered on October 14, 2019, curator C. D. Dickerson III provides an overview to this exhibition of work by Berruguete, the preeminent sculptor of Renaissance Spain.