Born in 1803, the boy wears the cadet’s uniform of the naval college. The whiteness of the suit and the painstaking detail of the embroidery on the jacket and cap afford the portrait its characteristic clarity. The sitter’s serious mood and calm bearing indicate that he has left childhood behind and is prepared for his future responsibilities, as denoted by his hand gesture. The greyish background
Hunting in the woods, Acteon stops on the banks of a stream when he sees Diana and her nymphs bathing nude on the opposite bank. Fascinated by their beauty, he observes them with a challenging and amused expression, unaware of the cost of his boldness. Indeed, the outcome will be tragic, as Diana, goddess of chastity, is furious at being seen in the nude by a mortal. She responds by transforming t
The brightly lit figure of Isabella Farnese stands out strongly against a dark background. Her face conforms to the highly idealised and slightly inexpressive prototype that Meléndez used in his numerous portraits of the Queen, but here he has paid particular attention to the depiction of the jewels. In the Queen´s hair a brooch with a large pearl secures the salmon pink ribbon that unfurls
This portrait of Philip V is based on a prototype devised by Meléndez in the 1720s. It combines a French model with the use of broad, zig-zagging brushstrokes typical of the Madrid Baroque style. The monarch´s notably idealised face is extremely delicately painted, with the paler tone of the broad brow suggesting the illumination of intelligence. Small highlights on the nose and lips emphas
This is the left panel of the Altar Piece of the Pietà, Saint Michael and Saint Catherine from the church of Santa María in Ejea de los Caballeros (Zaragoza). The painter, originally from Pareja (Guadalajara) and active in Aragon, shows the archangel dressed in armour and a cloak, driving his lance into the head of the demon beneath his feet.Wearing armour and a cloak, the archangel
The sitter`s elaborate dress, the baton of command he holds in his right hand and the sword on which his left hand rest all indicate that he is a military figure. The military context in further suggested by the naval battle depicted in the background and the weapons, ammunition and pieces of armour on the floor. For many years this portrait was in fact thought to depict a military officer until 1
This is a condensed version in vertical format of the Adoration of the Magi at the Galleria Borghese in Rome (inv. 150), a painting that is difficult to attribute and which Arslan believed to be by Francesco and Rearick by Leandro, though Ballarin ascribed it to Jacopo, dating it around 1576. The inferior quality of the Prado painting, which is signed by Francesco, supports Ballarin´s hypothesis.
This painting is identified in the early catalogues of the Museum`s holdings with the landscape listed in the 1766 inventory of the collection of Isabella Farnese in the palace of La Granja, which, in turn, could be the landscape with shepherds by the hand of the Hermit (the nickname by which Herman van Swanevelt was known in Rome) recorded as being located in the Alcázar of Madrid in 1686,
The apostle Saint James is shown kneeling with his hands together in prayer, offering his neck up to the sword of the executioner whoprepares to decapitate him. Standing before the apostle, wearing a curious sort of headdress, is the authority who decreed his death. Behind Saint James are soldiers with halberds and various other figures who probably represent Herod Agrippa and the Jews who, accord
Espinós structures his composition into three contrasting parts, including a mythological scene with two sculptural Olympian gods in the centre. They are surrounded by a large and colourful garland of flowers, while in the foreground we see a pedestal and another stone element with low-relief decoration. The result is a harmonious composition that combines contrasting elements to great deco
After a documented stay in Rome and a highly probable visit to Parma to study Correggio, Barocci returned to Urbino in 1576. When he painted this work for Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, he had a very personal style that merged the Venetian use of color with what has been called mystic naturalism. Barocci was at his best in small compositions like the present one, where his tenden
Saint Bernard of Siena (1380-1444) was an important figure within the Franciscan Order. Here he carries a staff with the anagram of Christ, while at his feet three mitres symbolise the bishoprics of Siena, Ferrara and Urbino that he turned down. The background includes two well known Toledan buildings: the Franciscan monastery of San Bartolomé de la Vega, which was destroyed during the Peni
Asentado en la madurez de su carrera en Venecia, el pintor francés Nicolas Régnier abordó en varias ocasiones la representación del mártir san Sebastián. La versión del Museo del Prado sigue muy de cerca la conservada en los Musei de Bassano del Grappa (inv. 140, óleo sobre lienzo, 182 x 115 cm) https://www.museibassano.it/it/dettaglio_opera/851225. Difiere en el desarrollo inferior y superior de
This portrait reveals the artist`s assimilation of French models, particularly those of his master, Paul Delaroche (1797-1856), who frequently used an oval format and low viewpoint in order to emphasise the monumentality of the figures. The dark tones of the mother`s dress create a harmonious contrast with the child`s skin tones and the highlights on the meticulously painted curtains and upholster
The Bolognese painter Francesco Francia depicted Saint Francis of Assisi on numerous occasions, both in compositions with other figures and alone. This version is an example of the latter type and is closely comparable to a work in the Galleria Borghese, although in this case the panel has been reduced at the lower edge, cutting off the left hand and part of the book held by the saint.
El retratado es Fernando de Borbón Parma (1751-1802), hijo de Felipe de Borbón, duque de Parma e infante de España, y de Luisa Isabel de Francia, hija de Luis XV. Su condición de nieto del rey Felipe V explica la llegada de la pintura a las colecciones reales españolas, conservando el Museo del Prado otro retrato suyo de igual procedencia que le representa en una edad algo más avanzada, debido a G
El dibujo presenta el tema del Matrimonio místico de Santa Catalina; a la izquierda, la Virgen sentada con el Niño; a la derecha, Santa Catalina arrodillada y un ángel. Es posible aceptar la atribución antigua del dibujo a Claudio Ridolfi, por la semejanza de los modelos con los que utiliza en sus cuadros y por la estructura armónica y ordenada de la composición, que tiene evidentes reminiscencias
Carderera probably accepted the old attribution to the Pellegrino Tibaldi (1527-1596), who had spent almost a decade in Spain at the end of his life, mostly working at El Escorial, and was an important influence on Late Mannerism in Spain. The attribution to Bertoia is here proposed on stylistic grounds. A particularly striking comparison may be made between the present drawing and Bertoia´s pen-a