This book by Ana Ma Arias de Cossio explores an area of Spanish art which is little known either at home or abroad.

The text is divided into four long chapters, in which are found a detailed study of the origins of this artistic style in the times of the Catholic Monarchs; the regency of Cardinal Cisneros (1500-1526) and the reign of Carlos I, stressing the universal character of that King and the reflection of this in art. The final chapter deals with Felipe II and his most famous project: The Escorial Monastery. Each chapter is preceded by a historico-cultural introduction in which the art of the period is related to other areas of human creativity, such as literature and thought.