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an abstraction of his own memories of the
civil war period and its aftermath with hints
of a “haunting beauty” with the “transcen-
dence of life over circumstance” that critics
continue to praise.
Tàpies's work of recent decades has pro-
gressed through a still more complex and
striking integration of “matter” with canvas
to actual use of objects as the “canvas” upon
which he paints or attaches other objects,
for example, a desk top to which paint and
straw has been applied.
Barcelona has honored its native son by
housing the collection known as the Tàpies
Foundation, which includes several thou-
sand works created by the master. He has
been the focal point of exhibits in many
countries and the inspiration of abstract
artists around the world. His 80th birth-
day was marked by a grand array of his
recent lithographs at a major gallery in
Germany. Tàpies was a dominating force
in abstract art throughout the latter half of
the 20th century. At the beginning of the
21st he is justly hailed as Spain's greatest
living artist.
division of these infantry units, which con-
tained components of pikemen, muske-
teers, and swordsmen. The proportion of
each component varied over time. So con-
sistent was the performance and so formi-
dable the achievements of the Tercios that
the very name attained not only a high
level of respect but also a capacity to intimi-
date by the mere presence of Spanish infan-
try on the battlefield. Although the number
of soldiers in each Tercio and the tactical
use of these units evolved over the decades,
they retained their preeminence until the
mid-17th century. After the Spanish defeat
at the B
ATTLE
OF
R
OCROI
(1643) the success
of Spanish arms declined, and military
ascendancy in Europe gradually passed to
France. Changes in the political system as
well as weaponry led to the replacement of
the Tercios by less distinctive military units
resembling those of other conventional
European armies during the early 18th cen-
tury. After the establishment of the Spanish
Foreign Legion in 1920 and its dramatic
achievements in M
OROCCO
, the name
Tercio
was revived and bestowed on the legion as
a mark of honor and a recognition of its tri-
umphs on the battlefield.
Tercio
This Spanish military formation came into
existence during the I
TALIAN
W
ARS
(1494-
1559) and won fame throughout Europe as
the instrument by which the kings of Spain
attained mastery of the Continent. Its ori-
gins are disputed, with some historians
claiming that it was based on the ancient
Greek phalanx. Its chief characteristics were
the tight discipline and coordination
imposed upon its troops, who exhibited a
remarkable steadiness and alacrity both in
defensive and offensive operations. The
term
tercio
was derived from the tripartite
Teresa of Ávila, Saint
(1515-1582)
Spanish religious leader and mystic
Born of a well-to-do family named Cepeda
and later known variously as Mother Teresa
of Jesus or Teresa of Ávila, this most famous
of Spanish nuns entered the convent before
she was 20 and experienced successive
periods of poor health, aridity of religious
feeling, and then, beginning in the 1550s, a
powerful sense of mystical communion
with the divine. This intense spirituality
enriched the remainder of her life and
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