San Diego Museum Of Art Unveils Art And Empire: The Golden Age Of Spain

The San Diego Museum of Art unveils Art and Empire: The Golden Age of Spain on May 18th. Be among the first to see this historic exhibition of works by masters of the Golden Age, including paintings, bejeweled crowns, and beautifully crafted furniture made during a time of unparalleled artistic production.

San Diego Museum Of Art

Featuring a diverse selection of more than 100 outstanding works produced by leading artists from Spain and its global territories. Art and Empire: The Golden Age of Spain is the first exhibition in the United States to expand the notion of the “Golden Age” to include the Hispanic world beyond the shores of the Iberian Peninsula.

San Diego Museum Of Art

Featured Artists

Featured artists include Diego Velázquez, Peter Paul Rubens, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Francisco de Zurbarán, Jusepe de Ribera, El Greco, Juan de Valdés Leal, Juan Sánchez Cotán, and many more.

This exhibition also marks the first time since the 1935 exhibition for the California Pacific International Exposition that all five of the Spanish masters represented on the Museum’s building façade—Velázquez, Murillo, Zurbarán, Ribera and El Greco—will be shown together at the Museum

San Diego Museum Of Art

Art and Empire: The Golden Age of Spain is organized into five sections and represent more than 10 countries, including Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines.

  • The Courtly Image: Portraiture in the Hispanic World
  • The Birth of Naturalism
  • Art in the Service of Faith
  • Splendors of Daily Life
  • Global Materials and Trade

San Diego Museum Of Art

An Art Show and more…

There will also be a wide variety of public programming to complement the show, including a symposium featuring notable scholars from around the world, a lecture by Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, London, as well as a film series, textile and cochineal dye workshops, performances by the San Diego Ballet, a Spanish jazz band, traditional Flamenco performances, community and outreach programs, and much more.

San Diego Museum Of Art

See you there!

Share This Event
Event Details
The Latest
La Valencia Hotel celebrating 100 years in La Jolla
La Valencia Hotel – La Jolla’s beloved Pink Lady – is turning 100 in 2026, and the centennial celebration is already underway. A full calendar...
Weaving Nets installation arts district liberty station
Arts District Liberty Station is bringing one of the most visually striking public art moments of the year to the North Promenade. Tejiendo Redes –...
Stella Jean's Ice Cream x Summer Fridays Collaboration
Stella Jean’s Ice Cream is teaming up with Summer Fridays for a three-day collaboration that turns the beauty brand’s new Sweet Summer Minis collection into...
Families Enjoying Shark Summer at Birch Aquarium
Shark Summer is back at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, running from early July through early August. The month-long program dives into the...
Moonshine Flats Cassie B
Check out the exciting moonshine flats moonshine beach summer lineup featuring diverse live music and entertainment throughout the season.
Community Gathering at the Switchfoot Bro-Am Beach Fest
Twenty-two years in, the Switchfoot Bro-Am has earned its place as one of Southern California’s most meaningful annual traditions. What started as a grassroots local...
Event Details
Upcoming Events
Bird's Eye View of Mission Bayfest
October 16, 2026
3:00 pm
  • Mariners Point
Mission Bayfest is heading back to the waterfront this fall, bringing three days of reggae, rock, and SoCal vibes to Mariner’s Point Park along the...
Tori Amos San Diego
August 26, 2026
7:30 pm
  • San Diego Civic Theatre
There are artists who put on a show, and then there’s Tori Amos – a force of nature who turns every performance into something genuinely...
RESET Beach Wellness Event
August 2, 2026
8:00 am
  • Mission Beach Park
SSBD and Almost Nakey are joining forces for RESET, a brand-new beachside event happening at Fit Social Club. It’s a full day of movement, recovery,...
Taste of Eastlake
July 24, 2026
6:00 pm
If you’re looking for a summer night out that actually means something, this one’s worth circling. The EastLake Educational Foundation is hosting its annual Taste...
Cinbarella Il-Tabarrosite
July 19, 2026
3:00 pm
  • California Center for the Arts
If you’ve never seen an opera and a ballet tell the same story back to back – in the same afternoon – this is your...
Event Search: