Joseph is a handsome and virtuous slave falsely accused of rape by his master´s wife, whose advances he has rejected. He is imprisoned, but eventually raised to the highest office by Pharaoh (Exodus: 39). Joseph and the Wife of Putiphar and Susannah and the Elders (P386) can be understood as parables of righteousness threatened and preserved, but here -as was usual for artists of the Renaissance a
This attractive group portrait, one of the most interesting of the 17th-century Dutch school on account of its bourgeois spirit with aristocratic leanings, is an extraordinary skilful depiction of the artist´s close family. Jordaens portrays himself with his wife Catharina van Noort and their first child Elizabeth, born on 26 June 1617, whose age allows us to date the work approximately. Cat
The painting featured here is an example of the characteristic compositions with poultry in which D`Hondecoeter specialised. This type of painting was brought to Utrecht in 1619 by Roeland Savery (1576-1639), who had, in turn, been introduced to this genre -of which the most prominent and influential practitioner was Frans Snyders (1592-1667)- while at the court of Rudolf II of Prague.D`Hondecoete
Hijo de Guillermo de Orange y de Luisa de Coligny, a la muerte de Mauricio de Nassau continúa la lucha por la independencia de Holanda. Militar de fuerte personalidad y sólido carácter; Van Dyck lo simboliza en la pared y la pilastra de piedra que finge a espaldas del retrato. El casamiento de sus hijos con príncipes de Inglaterra y de Alemania consolida su prestigio en Europa. Fue elegido stadtho
The first Poesie presented to Prince Philip were Danaë (1553, The Wellington Collection) and Venus and Adonis (1554, Museo del Prado, P422), versions of other previous works, but endowed with all the prestige of the commissioning party. In turn, these works became models for numerous replicas (Danaë receiving the Golden Rain, 1560-65, Museo del Prado, P425).Danaë depicts the moment
Several aspects of this undated work indicate it was painted during the transition between the first and second halves of the 17th century. It clearly draws on Van der Hamen but some smaller details appear to foreshadow the baroque tendencies explored by Pereda in that century’s sixth decade, when Philip IV’s (1621-1665) reign was beginning to decline. And as Pérez Sánchez pointed ou
During the years he spent in Rome, Van Poelenburch began painting scenes of this kind with small-or medium-sized figures, in which the presence of ruins is so powerful that they could almost be said to be the main subject. In the foreground, which is slightly raised, a shepherd and a village woman engage in conversation near a herd of goats. Opening out behind them is a large space populated by nu
La obra forma parte de una serie de cuatro lienzos que representan a los Padres de la Iglesia occidental, procedente del convento de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Madrid. Son copias de un conjunto realizado en Italia con mucha probabilidad durante el breve pontificado de Gregorio XV Ludovisi (1621-1623) cuyos originales, solo en parte localizados, pueden adscribirse a Giovanni Lanfranco (San Amb
A court portrait of Queen Anne (1549-1580), the daughter of Emperor Maximilian II (1527-1576) and Maria of Austria (1528-1603), married her uncle Philip II in 1570; their son later became Philip III (1578-1621). This portrait is thought to be a copy of one by Anthonis Mor, painted in 1570 when the future queen was travelling to Spain to be married. She is wearing a white partlet over an ornate dou
The Recapture of Bahía de Todos los Santos was commissioned from Maíno towards the end of 1634. The artist was still working on it on 24 March 1635, date on which he received the first 18,600 maravedíes on account, corresponding to an order of payment from the Chief Notary of the Council of Aragon, Jerónimo de Villanueva (died 1653). Maíno completed the painting
Bishop Gennaro (or Januarius) is the patron saint of Naples, and thus the subject of numerous works from that city’s rich school of painting. According to tradition, he was bishop of Benevento during the Diocletianic Persecution in the third century AD. While visiting Pozzuoli, north of the Gulf of Naples, Gennaro was taken prisoner and tortured in various ways, miraculously emerging unscathed. Fi
This canvas and its companion, Taste, Hearing and Touch (P1404), represent the five senses embodied by female figures in palatial interiors. The sense of smell is conveyed by a woman holding flowers, while Sight contemplates herself in a mirror held by a cherub. They are located in a hall filled with paintings and sculptures, a sort of cabinet of paintings that could reflect an idealized represent
The king is portrayed in armour, beside a tent; the image is not particularly representative of the sitter, whose tastes tended more towards regal pomp and religious piety. The composition follows earlier traditions, though with certain features characteristic of Pantoja de la Cruz: a rather geometric rendering of the figure, an impassive, somewhat distant expression, and a fascination with the de
These four paintings of flowers and sumptuary objects (P250, P251, P252 and P3239) are part of those sent from Rome to Madrid by Mario Nuzzi and other artists for the decoration of the Buen Retiro Palace. Nuzzi, also known as Mario dei Fiori, studied with his uncle Tommaso Salini, a follower of Caravaggio and one of the first still-life specialists active in Rome after the latter’s death. Nuzzi dr
Bernardo Strozzi was one of Genoa´s most outstanding early Baroque artists, and his work exemplifies the qualities and evolution of painting in the Ligurian capital. Moreover, his practice forged a brilliant artistic link between Genoa and Venice. Known as Il Prete Genovese, because he was a Capuchin monk, Strozzi received early training in the late Mannerist tradition from Cesare Corte (1550-c.16
Shown standing with damascene half-armor and white-and-gold bloomers, Cosimo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany was born to Ferdinand I and Christine of Lorraine in 1590. He succeeded his father as duke in 1609 and died on February 18, 1621. This painting was first listed at the Alcázar in 1636.
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 collar and cuffs as the only highlights, thus drawing the eye to his face and hands. This was a customary formula in Baroque portraits.The sitter’s expert grasp of his instrument indicates his famili
Painted around 1660-1670, during the transition between the reigns of Philip IV (1621-1665) and Charles II (1665-1700), this painting clearly conveys the characteristics of Valencian still lifes from the second half of the Siglo de Oro. Its agreeable, decorative and jovial play of elements captures the joy of a Mediterranean garden. At the same time, it is an accomplished example of the repertoire