On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P02422
- Author
- Paret y Alcázar, Luis (Spanish)
- Title
- Carlos III, dining at court
- Chronology
- Ca. 1775
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 50 cm x 64 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- COMPRA
- Procedence
- Acquisition, 1933
This representation of a daily
event in the life of King Carlos
III (1716-1788) shows the Monarch
eating at court. While the subject
of the painting would seem to make
it a pictorial document, the
setting is actually invented,
although it looks somewhat like a
fantasy of a room in Madrid's Royal
Palace.
The chosen moment, which runs the
risk of being uninteresting, was
one of the King's daily rituals,
and attending these dinners was a
privilege available to very
few.
With the sumptuous decoration of
the walls, Paret manages to create
a very monumental setting that
contrasts with the figures of the
personages, who are small and
elongated. Behind the table, the
king barely stands out.
The vibrant colors and glassy
highlight make this artist the
finest representative of late
Spanish Baroque painting, which is
very close to the French
Rococo.
This work was acquired in June of
1933 with funds from the legacy of
the Count of Cartagena.
Location on the map
