October 11, 2009-January 3, 2010 Allen Whitehill Clowes Gallery in Wood Pavilion

The first exhibition to examine the religious visual culture of 17th-century Spain and Latin America is on view at the IMA through January 3, 2010. Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World brings to life the challenges faced by visual artists such as El Greco, Francisco Zurbarán, Alonso Cano, Franciso Ribalta, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Juan de Valdes Leal, Juan Correa, Cristobal Villalpando and others, who were charged with the creative task of making religious imagery that was useful, truthful and moving. The exhibition features 70 works—including paintings, polychrome sculpture, metalwork and books, many of which have never before been seen in the United States—that not only illustrate religious iconography and allegory, but also bring to light the significant role of the artist in 17th-century Spain.