5. Spanish Sanctuary: The Hispanic Society of America Museum & Library
When I went to New York two weekends ago, I arrived with the lofty goal of visiting, oh, five museums I had never been to before. In two and a half days. While also catching up with high school and college friends who live in the city. In other words, it didn’t happen, even though I had made a list and mapped out each museum’s neighborhood and subway stop. But, I realized, that’s how NYC operates. You get caught up in a whirlwind of too much to do and see (and eat). That being said, I did manage to escape on Friday afternoon while my friends were still at work, and I’m glad I did. The Hispanic Society of America was suggested to me by the museum-tweeting pro behind @ITweetMuseums, @MarkBSchlemmer. He said: “@HSAmuseum is recommended and sadly undervisited. Easy to get to by subway.”
He was right on both counts. I took the C train farther uptown than I had ever gone before, to 155th street, but it was a breeze. It’s true, the Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library is off the beaten path, both in the sense that Washington Heights is not typically thought of as museum destination land, and also that its entrance isn’t visible from the sidewalk: it’s through a courtyard, up a flight of stairs, through a set of stately iron gates to an upper courtyard, and then through a grand, Beaux Arts entrance into the museum itself.
Though the trek to the Hispanic Society of America, paired with its imperial external demeanor, might deter visitors, I actually found that the journey added to the experience. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt finding my way there, and the courtyards leading up to the museum acted as a buffer between the city noise and the hushed, almost reverent tone within the museum’s walls. I really hadn’t known what to expect, but stepping into HSA’s interior court made me feel transported to a medieval Spanish castle, a warm sanctuary from the piles of snow outside. With red tiled floors, dark wooded arches, and diffuse natural light coming in through glass ceiling panels, the architecture certainly helped get me in the right mindset for the art it houses—and get lost in its rich histories.
The Hispanic Society of America’s name sometimes causes confusion—and debate—as it focuses predominantly on Spanish art, though it does also have Latin American works in the collection. Furthermore, it's not a "society" in the exclusive sense of the word. Founded in 1904 by philanthropist Archer Milton Huntington, the HSA still strives to adhere to his original vision of a place of Spanish culture, research and learning. I won’t get into the contemporary pressures it faces to adapt to the times, but those arguments are explored in this 2011 New York Times piece.
The pleasant routes you can wander through the museum—circling the grand central court, surveying from the overhead balcony, and slipping into side passageways that lead to unexpected rooms full of decorative art objects—help emphasize the narrative feeling of many of the works. Often cited as the can’t-miss gallery, the Sorolla Room displays a massive panoramic mural, "The Provinces of Spain" (1911-1919), which covers nearly all the wall space in the room. Like the center court, its sheer scale and sumptuous jewel-toned colors have the powerful effect of spiriting you away to another time and place.
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, described as the “painter of light,” captured scenes of outdoor life, from festivals to daily labor, all bathed in various tones of sunlight. While it’s a sight to behold in its entirety, my favorite part about the Sorolla Room was getting up close to certain small details. These little snapshots are full of activity and color in and of themselves, and it helps heighten a feeling of immersion in this painted world that seems to almost emit warmth (did I mention it was >20 degrees when I was in NYC?).
I also enjoyed some of the less traveled galleries upstairs at HSA. Heading through a room of 16th century Spanish door knockers (a surprise around every corner!), I found myself in the ceramics galleries—which include Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American works as well as pieces from the Philippines and Portuguese India. I was sort of amazed by the level of artistry in these small and seemingly everyday objects, and it provided a nice contrast to the instantly visible grandeur of the stunning large-scale works in the collection. I had that feeling of having sneaked into the castle’s private china cabinet, poking around these treasures in total peace and quiet. I was especially tickled by these animated incense burners, ca. 1700-1750.
A series of painted tiles also caught my attention, as it again brought to mind the feeling of visual storytelling that carries throughout the museum. Titled "The advances of the 19th century," made in Barcelona in 1902, it was a fun challenge to try and identify the new technologies depicted: heated shower? Foot-powered saw?
Overall, my visit to the Hispanic Society of America was marked by the feeling that there were these great little gems all around, waiting to be discovered. A mix of warm Spanish hospitality and shrouded mystery made this a memorable passage through history and place, in a way that provoked not only intellectual curiosity but also appealed to the emotions and the senses. From the moment you set foot on those burnt sienna tiles, it is an invitation to take a delightful sojourn to majestic Old Spain in a truly immersive setting—one that even provides a cure for the winter blues.
