formularioRDF
The itinerary <em>TITULORECORRIDO</em> has been successfully created. Now you can add in works from the Collection browser
<em>TITULOOBRA</em> added to <em>TITULORECORRIDO</em> itinerary

Close Continuar a ficha de la obra Continuar a ficha de la obra
17-02-2026
Sementi Giovan Giacomo

Bologna (Italy), 1583 - Rome (Italy), 1636

See author's file

Women Gladiators

1634 - 1636. Oil on canvas.
Not on display

This work belongs to a group from the History of Rome series for the Buen Retiro Palace. Dedicated to depictions of Roman public pastimes, the group includes athletes, gladiators, chariots, animal fights, mock sea battles and so on. Following initial doubts, the Buen Retiro Palace was conceived as a place of leisure, where it would be possible to forget the worries associated with running the monarchy. This group of paintings probably sought a simple association of the palace’s leisure activities and those of Antiquity.

In recent decades, efforts have been made to establish the existence of a series of paintings related to the History of Rome -including the present work- that Philip IV’s representatives would have commissioned in that city and in Naples around 1634 for the Buen Retiro Palace. Today, twenty-eight extant works can be related to this project (most in the Museo del Prado or Patrimonio Nacional), along with another six mentioned in Charles II’s will but now lost or destroyed. This total of thirty-four paintings constitutes the largest group from the Retiro, including the Hall of Realms. The only larger group consists of mythological scenes that the king’s brother, Cardinal-Infante don Fernando, commissioned Rubens to paint for the Torre de la Parada. The size of the Roman group is the first indication of its importance in the new Palace.

The work was previously attributed, with considerable reservations, to Andrea Vaccaro, but can now be attributed with reasonable certainty to a pupil of Guido Reni, Giovan Giacomo Sementi, who accompanied his master on his brief trip to Naples before settling in Rome. (Information updated by the Italian and French Baroque Painting Collection on February 9, 2026).

Úbeda de los Cobos, A., 'Felipe IV y el Buen Retiro'. El Palacio del Rey Planeta, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2005, p.176-177

Technical data

Imagen del carrusel
Imagen del carrusel
Inventory number
P000472
Author
Sementi Giovan Giacomo
Title
Women Gladiators
Date
1634 - 1636
Technique
Oil
Support
Canvas
Dimension
Height: 175 cm; Width: 200 cm
Series
Historia de Roma Antigua, Palacio del Buen Retiro
Provenance
Royal Collection (New Royal Palace, Madrid, "paso del cuarto del infante don Luis", 1772, no. 472; New Royal Palace, Madrid, "pieza de comer", 1794, no. 472; New Royal Palace, Madrid, "pieza de comer", 1814-1818, no. 472).

Bibliography +

Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Pintura italiana del S. XVII en España, Universidad Fundación Valdecilla, Madrid, 1965, pp. 167.

Sánchez Cantón, Francisco Javier, Museo del Prado. Catálogo de las pinturas, Museo del Prado, Madrid, 1972.

Museo Nacional del Prado, Catálogo de las pinturas, Museo del Prado, Madrid, 1985, pp. 720-721.

Museo Nacional del Prado, Museo del Prado. Inventario general de pinturas (I) La Colección Real, Museo del Prado, Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 1990.

Negro, Emilio, Giovan Giacomo Sementi, En: Massimo Pirondini y Emilio Negro (coords.), La scuola di Guido Reni, Módena, 1992, pp. 330.

Úbeda de los Cobos, A., 'El ciclo de la Historia de Roma antigua', El Palacio del Rey Planeta, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 2005, pp. 169-189.

Úbeda de los Cobos, A., 'Felipe IV y el Buen Retiro', El Palacio del Rey Planeta, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 2005, pp. 176-177.

Luna, Juan José, Guerra y pintura en las colecciones del Museo del Prado. Siglo XVI a Goya, Arte en tiempos de guerra, Jornadas de Arte, Madrid, 2009.

Pierguidi, Stefano, Il ciclo dei costumi de' Romani antichi del Buen Retiro di Madrid, Storia dell'arte, 125/126, 2010, pp. 79-93 (87-89).

Other inventories +

Inv. Carlos III, Palacio Nuevo, 1772. Núm. 472.
Paso del quarto del señor Infante don Luis [...] {13191} 472 / Otro [quadro] de vnas mugeres luchando y otras en espetación de dos varas y quarta de largo y dos de caida original escuela italiana

Inv. Testamentaría Carlos III, Palacio Nuevo, 1794. Núm. 472.
Pieza de comer [...] {28} 472 / Dos varas y quarta de largo y dos de alto: Unas mugeres lidiando y otras en expectación: Escuela Romana: en ... 6000

Inv. Fernando VII, Palacio Nuevo, 1814-1818. Núm. 472.
Pieza de Comer [...] {21157} 472 / Dos varas y quarta largo dos de alto, mugeres lidiando y otras en espectación = escuela Romana

Catálogo Museo del Prado, 1854-1858. Núm. 697.

Inv. Real Museo, 1857. Núm. 697.
Vaccaro. / 697. Combate de mujeres. / En un recinto delante de una galeria, precedidas por los magistrados, á vista de pueblo, dos mugeres combaten con furor armadas de escudos y espadas, mientras otras se disponen á entrar en la lucha: una de ellas yace en el suelo tendida. asunto de dificil esplicacion é interpretacion oscura. / Alto 6 pies, 3 pulg; ancho 7 pies, 1 pulg, 6 lin.

Catálogo Museo del Prado, 1872-1907. Núm. 518.

Catálogo Museo del Prado, 1910. Núm. 472.

Catálogo Museo del Prado, 1942-1996. Núm. 472.

Inscriptions +

472.
Inscribed in white. Front, lower right corner

697
Scrap of paper. Frame, left side edge

Rey
Inscribed. Frame, back, left side bar

697.
Inscribed in orange. Front, lower left corner

No 505 / Amazonas
Scrap of paper. Stretcher

Ya está colocado
Inscribed. Stretcher

puerta de / vestir Rey
Inscribed. Frame, back, upper bar

6/1
Inscribed. Frame, back, right side bar

A. Con brazos potenzados y el travesaño de la "A" forma un angulo
Inscribed in pen and ink. Frame, back, left side bar

Nº 472 (2 veces)
Handwritten label. Stretcher

M.N.PRADO 00472
On metallic tablet. Stretcher

Ze/nox
Inscribed in pen and ink. Frame, back, left side bar

marco / corriente
Scrap of paper. Stretcher

M[o/a]rt·[o/a]·[l]a
Inscribed in pen and ink. Frame, back, upper bar

Nº 472
Handwritten label. Frame, back, upper bar

63
Scrap of paper. Frame, left side edge

M.
Inscribed. Frame, back, upper bar

472
Inscribed with chalk. Frame, back, upper bar

518 Cartago-/ Vaccaro- Amazonas
Inscribed with chalk. Back, Upper right area

20
Inscribed with chalk. Back, Upper right area

Bo.
Scrap of paper. Stretcher

No 505 / Amazonas
Scrap of paper. Frame, back, upper bar

X. La "X" es una cruz potenzada (3 veces)
Inscribed. Frame, back, right side bar

Update date: 17-02-2026 | Registry created on 28-04-2015

Visor 360

Drag with the cursor to rotate the piece

Print on demand

Print artworks available in our catalogue in high quality and your preferred size and finish.

Image archive

Request artworks available in our catalogue in digital format.

Up