The Restoration of Philip II on Horseback by Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens. Philip II on Horseback. Oil on canvas, 247 x 223cm Museo Nacional del Prado (cat. P-1686), ca.1630. Before and after restoration, with the later strips of canvas at the top and bottom concealed
One of the few known equestrian portraits of Philip II was painted some decades after the monarch’s death by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), the leading representative of European Baroque painting. This unique work has been restored by Mª Jesús Iglesias in the Museo del Prado’s restoration studio. The paint surface has now regained its original tonalities and the painting can once again be seen at its original size, which was modified in the 18th century.
