El arte en un emporio mercantil, la Sevilla barroca

Résumé

Seville was during the Baroque an important and worldwide known trade center. Despite the ascending importance of Cádiz, remains of the past glory still continued to exist. The city maintained its relevance in many aspects even after the loss of the Casa de Contratación to Cádiz in 1717, since many Indies-traders kept their households in Seville. This article shows the influence of traders in the emergence of the fine arts. These traders constituted a very important group for artistic promotion, as opposed to the traditional view that the city's artistic wealth was due to initiatives from the Church. We outline the role of the fine arts in the forging of identities of this group and the direct impact of their contributions in the centers of religious devotion.