Summer Palace Aranjuez | Gary J. Kirkpatrick Art and Travel Blog

I did these small paintings at Aranjuez, Spain. The Summer Palace of Spain is located there. I wrote a bit about Aranjuez at http://www.garyjkirkpatrick.com/aranjuez-the-summer-palace-of-the-spanish-royalty/

A fall scene at Aranjuez:

Aranjuez Gazebos, 12.7 x 17.8 cm, watercolor

Palacio de Aranjuez pen and ink, (5 x7″, 12.7 x 17.8 cm)

At Aranjuez, cataracts (acrylics), A3/8.3 x 11.5" on high quality paper — At Aranjuez, cataracts (acrylics), A3/29. cm x 42 cm, 11.5″ x 16.5″, on high quality paper

At Aranjuez is the same scene as Carmen at Aranjuez. But there is no railing separating her from the harsh reality below –it’s nearly winter, the icy gray of the cold Rio Tajo running on the backside of the Palacio. Nonetheless there is beauty of sky and the shimmering reflections to enchant, but, yet, stay back. It reminds of those mythologies we invent to account for both the cruelty and charm of existence; no wonder our deities are so self-contradicting.

Carmen at Aranjuez, 12.7 x 17.8 cm, watercolor

I was thinking of how I would miss my new friends, the warmth of her standing there contrasting with the coldness of the water, the building, affection as a guard against life’s sometimes harsh realities.

This building sits just across from the Palace. It was built in the mid 1800’s and completely renovated.

Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez, 12.7 x 17.8 cm, watercolor (sold)

Aranjuez is just south of Madrid and home to the summer palace. It was built in the second half of the 16th century under Phillip II. The town was originally inhabited only by the court but now is a small but vibrant town dominated by the tourists who visit the palace.

The main entrance is through a gate that leads onto a large courtyard.

Visitors would have entered through the doors to be confronted with a magnificent marble staircase and a ceiling high above. Nowadays visitors enter through a much smaller entrance in the Renaissance style wing. This style features a rather flat presentation, with pediments of various sorts adoring the windows. Here you can also see the Romanesque arches, rounded versus the sharper edges of the Gothic style.

The interior visitors access is limited to two floors. Once you climb the main staircase there perhaps a dozen rooms. Some are more what you might expect in terms of high and painted ceilings, luxurious furnishings, and rich colors. Others are intensely decorated with ceramics: