Casas Colgantes, Cuenca 

Santiago Rusiñol painted "Casas Colgantes, Cuenca" probably sometime around the turn of the 20th century. The painting depicts the famous hanging houses of Cuenca, Spain, dramatically perched on a cliffside. Rusiñol was part of the Catalan Modernista movement, which sought to revitalize Catalan culture and society. Consider how the painting romanticizes a vision of Spain, connecting to a broader European fascination with picturesque landscapes and historic architecture. The hanging houses become a symbol of a specific time and place. To really dig deeper, we might explore period travelogues, architectural histories of Cuenca, and studies of Spanish cultural identity at the time. This helps us understand how artists like Rusiñol participated in shaping national narratives through their art, reflecting on what it meant to be Spanish at a time of significant social change.