Heroism of the City of Santander
Ca. 1816. Conté crayon on card.Not on display
From March 1815, Madrazo worked on a picture intended to celebrate the insurrection of Santander – a city of which the artist had been appointed honorary mayor – against Napoleon’s army, and in particular to commemorate the deeds of Captain Emeterio Velarde, whom Madrazo knew. He made use here of a scene strongly reminiscent of Jacques-Louis David, in which Velarde’s followers swear an oath to expel the invading army; the façade of Santander City Hall can be discerned in the background of this highly-monumental composition.
