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More than almost any other artist, Ignacio Zuloaga single-handedly shaped the way Spain was viewed by the world at the dawn of the twentieth century: During his lifetime, he achieved international fame for his depictions of proud toreros and vivacious flamenco dancers, the simple life of the rural population, ascetics and penitents against the backdrop of vast, barren landscapes, beggars, little persons, and witches, echoing the artistic legacy of Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Goya. In an era of massive industrialization and Spain’s increasing orientation toward European modernism, Zuloaga sought to preserve the “Spanish soul” with these scenes. For the first time in Germany, the Kunsthalle München is turning the spotlight onto this painter, virtually unknown here, with a large monographic exhibition, which will afterwards be shown at Bucerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg.