The recapture of the Bahía de Todos los Santos
Maíno’s close relations with Philip IV are recorded in contemporary accounts that describe him as drawing master to the monarch and adviser on artistic matters. Nonetheless, only one specific royal commission is known: the present canvas, which was one of a series in the Salón de Reinos [Hall of Realms] in the Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid. Decorated between 1634 and 1635, this room became the space that most overtly symbolised Philip’s IV’s reign as it celebrated the principal Spanish military triumphs of recent years. Maíno’s canvas was the first in the series and was the only one to include portraits of Philip IV and the Count Duke of Olivares. It stands out among the rest, in part due to its innovative presentation of war and its complex narrative structure (which includes an accurate topographical description of the place, the depiction of the royal pardon granted to prisoners, and also the tragic consequences of war), and also because of the use of a bright, clear chromatic range, and a thin brushstroke that creates effects similar to mural painting.
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The Recapture of Bahía. Juan Bautista Maíno. Oil on canvas. 309 x 381 cm. 1634-1635. Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado
