Various figures surround Christ and mock him. An armed soldier and an executioner place the Crown of Thorns on his head while another offers him a cane as his scepter. The scene is contemplated by two [+]
In the darkness of the Mount of Olives, Jesus receives the kiss that consummates Judas´ betrayal while Peter cuts off the ear of Malco, the High Priest´s servant, with his sword, as descri [+]
A bearded, grey-haired old man turns his head to the left over a black background. This is similar to another head by the same artist (P01694) and is probably a sketch or model for a larger work, inte [+]
A bearded, grey-haired old man turns his head to the left over a black background. This is similar to another head by the same artist (P1491) and is probably a sketch or model for a larger work, inten [+]
This is one of a number of images of Saint Rosalia that Van Dyck painted in Sicily, where he lived from 1624 to 1625. It depicts the hermit saint in her cave on Mount Pellegrino near Palermo. Rosalia’ [+]
A young man holds a musical instrument that has been identified as a long-necked lute or guitarrón. His black clothing and the dark background leave his flesh tones and the white touches of his [+]
The famous Flemish painter is portrayed almost full-length, sitting in a chair and wearing red robes and a fur coat. This landscape painter and contemporary of Van Dyck had no left arm, which is clear [+]
Though of Dutch origin -he was Maurice of Nassau´s nephew- Hendrik van den Bergh remained faithful to the Catholic cause of the Spanish monarchy for quite some time. He was born in 1573 and died in 16 [+]
A protector and friend of Van Dyck, Endymion Porter (1587-1649) was secretary to the Duke of Buckingham and an important diplomat in the English Court. A great lover of the arts, he was in charge of a [+]
Saint Sabina, the noble Roman widow, became a Christian through the influence of her maid, Saint Serapia, a native of Antioch who fled the religious persecution of Christians there. The painting prese [+]
A noble Roman widow and mother of five children, Saint Paula decided to retreat to the desert and abandon her worldly ways in favour of a life of prayer and penitence. In 285 AD she abandoned Rome wit [+]
In 1640, Van Dyck married Mary Ruthven in England. This lady of Scottish origin died in 1645. He portrayed his wife with her hair pulled back and an oak-leaf headdress alluding to her husband´s name, [+]
A depiction of one of the miracles of Saint Isidore the Laborer (12th century), the patron saint of Madrid, who made many miracles. Here, after his son had fallen into a well, the water miraculously r [+]
A domestic scene filled with tenderness showing the Virgin Mary winding a skein of thread and watching the Christ Child, who leans on Saint Joseph while he plays with a little bird and a dog. The almo [+]
An angel appears to Saint Joseph in his sleep, pointing to the dove of the Holy Ghost as the heavens open in a luminous burst of glory. Under the dove, a group of angels carry a mirror and flowers all [+]
Murillo created a highly successful formula for representing the Immaculate Conception, with the Virgin dressed in blue and white, her hands crossed over her bosom and her gaze directed at the heavens [+]
This painting and its companion, The Patrician Reveals his Dream to the Pope (P995), are among Murillo’s most renowned works. The two arched works were intended to hang beneath a small dome in the rec [+]
According to Jacobus de Voragine´s Golden Legend (c.1260), 14 years after Christ´s Passion, Mary Magdalene and her companions were abandoned and set adrift in a small boat to die. The boat miraculousl [+]