Paintings and drawings from Aranjuez, location of the Summer Palace

At Aranjuez, detail

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
Aranjuez Gazebos, 12.7 x 17.8 cm, watercolor

 

 

Palacio de Aranjuez pen and ink
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.  

At Aranjuez, detail
At Aranjuez, detail

 

At Aranjuez, detail
At Aranjuez, detail

 

 

At Aranjuez, detail
At Aranjuez, detail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Aranjuez, the summer palace of the Spanish royalty

Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez

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.

 

Palacio de Aranjuez pen and ink
Palacio de Aranjuez pen and ink, (5 x7″, 12.7 x 17.8 cm- to purchase see bottom)

 

Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez
Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez

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:

 

Aranjuez Ceramics
Aranjuez Ceramics

 

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Aranjuez interior

The palace sits on the conjunction of two rivers, the Tagus and Jarama.  The rivers feed numerous fountains and maintain the extensive gardens.

Fountains Aranjuez
Fountains Aranjuez
Fountains Aranjuez
Fountains Aranjuez
Aranjuez River Tajo
Aranjuez River Tajo

Nearby is the Palcio de Sivela, built in 1860 and completely restored in 1988.  Here is my impression of it

Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez
Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez (watercolor, 5 x7″, 12.7 x 17.8 cm) sold