In addition to the Roemer goblet, other glasses common in this kind of monochrome still life presented here include the Berkemeyer, in this case tipped over and broken, and the delicate Façon-d [+]
This opulent still-life scene typical of the Baroque Flemish school includes a human figure and two animals, as was common in the period, in accordance with the tastes of the clients, whose wealth and [+]
This painting entered the Museum as an original work by Jan Both, attribution that has been maintained in the catalogues until the present day. In 1973 Valdivieso identifies it as the picture listed i [+]
On June 5, 1625 the Dutch governor of Breda, Justinus van Nassau, surrendered the keys of that city to Ambrosio Spínola, the Genoese general commanding the Spanish tercios (a group of soldiers [+]
Saint Kitts, Nevis and Sint Eustatius, are Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. After their occupation by the French and English in 1627, they became home bases for pirates. The Spanish expedition [+]
This work and its companion (P6413) belonged to Jean de Croy, Count of Solre and captain of the Flemish Royal Guard of Archers, of which Van der Hamen was a member. Unframed, the two paintings hung in [+]
The main scene occupies the foreground, though it is no longer set in the plane closest to the viewer as in the previous period, but slightly further back. As a result, the figures are smaller in size [+]
Saint Joseph holds a flowered staff. He is accompanied by the Christ Child, who offers him a basket with carpentry tools, alluding to the saint´s profession. The worship of Saint Joseph was espe [+]
The capitulation of the Rhenish city of Jülich was one of the most outstanding events at the beginning of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Occupied by Maurice of Nassau’s French troops since 161 [+]
Samson freed himself from his chains and killed a thousand Philistines, enemies of the Israelites, using only the jawbone of an ass (Judges 15:15). Giulio Cesare was the son of the painter Ercole Proc [+]
With the owners or house servants away, the animals sneak into the larder, giving free rein to their instincts. This leads to a fight. Scenes of animal fights in domestic settings were customary in mi [+]
Series of Apostles became very popular during the Counter-reformation; they were usually half-length figures against a neutral background, holding their iconographical attributes. One of the most impo [+]
Series of Apostles became very popular during the Counter-reformation; they were usually half-length figures against a neutral background, holding their iconographical attributes. One of the most impo [+]
The date of this painting has been the subject of critical debate for over a century. The 1889 edition of the Prado catalogue states that it was signed but fails to mention a date. The 1910 version de [+]
In The Metamorphosis, the poet Ovid very precisely describes the moment when Mercury, on his way to Athens, met a group of Nymphs carrying offerings to the goddess Palas. Mercury immediately fell in l [+]
Lupercalia was a festival involving sacrifices to the two deities associated, respectively, with fecundity and childbirth: Pan and Lucina. As part of the celebrations, the men whipped their wives to m [+]
This colossal head may be that of a giant, a figure taken from classical mythology in which such characters are described as being rough and primitive beings, possessed of remarkable strength and terr [+]
The Roman poet Ovid, in his book Metamorphosis (III, 401-532), tells the story of Diana and the nymph Callisto. Zeus was attracted to the nymph and took the form of Diana to seduce and rape her. Diana [+]