The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
‘Picasso and Dali made the concept cool’
From rope-soled espadrilles and vintage trams to a statue of the Devil entwined with a serpent, the world is full of objects with a story behind them, as Nick Trend discovers in the latest instalment of our series
STATUE OF SATAN
Madrid
One of the great traditions of Madrid life is a stroll around the Buen Retiro Park. These wonderful gardens were originally laid out for the Spanish royal family in the 17th century, but they have been open to the public since 1767, and the shady avenues and pools are idyllic places to enjoy warm days in spring or to escape the heat of high summer.
Hundreds of sculptures, ornaments, buildings and pavilions have been installed throughout the park as it has been adapted over the years, but one monument in particular has always fascinated me. It’s an octagonal fountain at the centre of one of the main open spaces. At its base are eight bronze grotesques grabbing with clawed fingers at clutches of fish, serpents and reptiles. Jets of water spurt from their mouths and jowls into the surrounding pool. But the centrepiece, towering above them on a 25fthigh stone plinth, is a winged figure, also cast in bronze. He, by contrast, is in heroic pose, struck down by some unseen force and forced to writhe on a rock, entwined with a serpent.
Why is it so intriguing? Because it represents Satan. And as far as I know it is the only public sculpture in the world to depict the Devil. The figure was made in 1877 by the Spanish sculptor, Ricardo Bellver, who was inspired by the story of the Fallen Angels in John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. The problem with Paradise Lost, as has very often been observed, is that it is hard not to identify with the wrong side. Satan is supposed to be a tortured anti-hero with a perverse mission to corrupt God’s new favourites, Adam and Eve. But he is bold, brave and determined and much of the story is told from his point of view. And that tension between evil and heroism is perpetuated by setting him on a plinth in a public park.
It certainly wasn’t a consciously intended effect; the sculpture was much admired by the contemporary artistic community for its power to depict Satan’s suffering – though with the subtext that it was richly deserved. It was quickly acquired for a public museum, but soon moved into the park so that it could be more widely admired. It’s probably a coincidence that it happens to stand at a height of exactly 666 metres above sea level.
The statue of Satan made Bellver’s name, won him fellowship of the Spanish royal academy of arts and he went on to enjoy a career working mainly for the church and religious institutions.
So next time you are walking in the Retiro gardens and find yourself in front of this monument, just remember: you aren’t supposed to feel sympathy for the Devil.
24 ESPADRILLES
The British are famous around the world for their sartorial struggles when on holiday. We can do the smart thing – the boater, the linen jacket, the straw hat and the floral frock – but when we dress down for the beach, we look ridiculous. People from Britain simply don’t know how to adapt to hot weather.
It’s true that we have finally abandoned the knotted handkerchief, but we have no taste in shorts, we wear appalling T-shirts and we struggle most of all when it comes to footwear, especially for men. After years of gentle ridicule, we still don’t seem to understand that you can’t wear your office socks with sandals. In fact, you can’t wear socks at all.
But there is a simple answer to the shoe problem. It’s not a new one – Spanish peasants have known about it for generations and it is decades since Picasso and Salvador Dali rendered the concept cool. Simply adopt espadrilles – those simple canvas shoes with rope soles – are now sold at virtually every beachside clothing stall in France and Spain and across much of the Med.
Historically, they originated in northern Spain where they are called espardenya in Catalan and espsartnik in the Basque Country. They were produced by rope-makers (and possibly basket weavers) who stitched together offcuts of rope to make a flat, robust but flexible sole. The uppers come in different styles, but the cheapest, classic and most common form are simple canvas envelopes.
If you want to emulate the smarter set, endless adaptations have emerged. Yves St Laurent introduced wedge-shaped soles in 1970 and they have proved enduringly popular with women ever since. You can buy them with straps, or leather uppers, with high-heels or bumpersized soles. For inspiration, you can google the versions worn by Kate Middleton, Jessica Parker, President Kennedy or the King of Spain. You can, apparently, pay £500 for a designer pair.
But if you just want to look cool and relaxed on the beach this summer, it might be better not to try too hard. Just follow the locals and invest a few euros in a classic pair with canvas indigo uppers and wear them as slipons with the back trodden down. Just remember. No socks.