This work has recently been added to the donation made by Plácido Arango. It has been convincingly attributed to Francisco de Herrera the Younger due to the similarities between some of its details and those in autograph works by the artist, one of the most influential painters in Madrid and Seville in the mid-seventeenth century.
These two canvases (The Adoration of the Magi, P1129 and The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, P1130) were part of a small altar piece in the convent of Los Angéles in Madrid, a work that also included The Annunciation (P1128). The present canvases are typical of the mature style of this artist, who made masterly use of a range of warm colours applied with an extremely free brushstroke i
Mariana of Austria, Queen Consort between 1665 and 1675, talks to the Jesuit priest Nithard, her confessor and confidant, in the presence of her son Charles II, still a minor. The scene takes place in a room in the Buen Retiro Palace –on the left we see a Hieronymite monk– decorated by the painter with works related to Velazquez and King Philip IV: Las Meninas, the equestrian portraits of Philip I
These two canvases (The Adoration of the Magi, P1129 and The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, P1130) were part of a small altar piece in the convent of Los Angéles in Madrid, a work that also included The Annunciation (P1128). The present canvases are typical of the mature style of this artist, who made masterly use of a range of warm colours applied with an extremely free brushstroke i
The half-length figure of an old man is depicted against a dark background. He looks at the viewer out of the corner of his eye, with his torso turned slightly to the left and his head to the right, as he holds a candle in his right hand to light up a manuscript in his left, of which we can only see the back. Old Man reading by Candlelight is clearly a night scene, a genre in which Schalcken speci
This surprising canvas presents the image of the Virgin of Atocha, just as she was worshipped on her altar at the Dominican convent dedicated to her on the outskirts of Madrid. This type of votive image with luxurious rigid clothing that gives the figure a conical silhouette—hence their popular characterization as “funnel” images—is very characteristic of the 17th century and quite frequently repr
Amalia de Solms-Braunfels (1602-1675) was the wife of Federico Enrique de Nassau (1584-1647), Prince of Orange, also painted by Van Dyck (P01482). As first lady of the House of Nassau, she wears an elegant black dress with a French collar. Its large décolletage is decorated with two rows of a pearl necklace and a short necklace. The broach on her bosom, the ring and pearl bracelets complete this i
Esta pintura ha sido relacionada con Durero (1471-1528) y con Lucas de Leiden (1494-1533). Supone un sobresaliente ejercicio de estilo que manifiesta su atenta observación de originales alemanes del siglo XV, cuya técnica Giordano intentó imitar. En ella Giordano aplicó una pincelada minuciosa y precisa de trazos cortos que reproducen con rigurosa exactitud el aspecto de los objetos, la incidencia
This painting depicts the façade of Saint Peter’s as it was designed by the architect Carlo Maderno and before the re-modelling undertaken by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who had the clock tower on the right demolished and added the colonnade that exists today. The ceremony taking place in the foreground remains unidentified. The buildings in this canvas were painted by Codazzi, while Falcone was
This canvas by a late 17th-century painter is part of a group of four works, all at the Museo del Prado (P191, P3196, P3197 and P3198), that express the idea of the Elements through motives drawn from classical mythology. The female figure that represents Air is accompanied by the Winds. In her right hand, she carries a bag that sprinkles water, representing rain, while the ray of light represents
This canvas by a late 17th-century painter is part of a group of four works, all at the Museo del Prado (P191, P3196, P3197 and P3198), that express the idea of the Elements through motives drawn from classical mythology. According to R. López Torrijos (1985), Water is embodied here by Ocean’s sister and wife, Thetis, who was queen of the seas. A crown and scepter underline her royal charac
At the centre of this painting, the apostle Saint Andrew is being tied to the X-shaped cross on which he will die. His muscles are taut and he raises his eyes heavenward, where several angels carry the palm and crown of martyrdom. The cross is tall, allowing Murillo to place the saint in the middle ground, surrounded by a great variety of figures who play different roles and express a range of emo
Esta pintura ha sido relacionada con Durero (1471-1528) y con Lucas de Leiden (1494-1533). Supone un sobresaliente ejercicio de estilo que manifiesta su atenta observación de originales alemanes del siglo XV, cuya técnica Giordano intentó imitar. En ella Giordano aplicó una pincelada minuciosa y precisa de trazos cortos que reproducen con rigurosa exactitud el aspecto de los objetos, la incidencia
This work could be defined as a descriptive landscape combined with a genre scene of everyday life. Small figures inhabit a canvas that presents the buildings at El Campillo—a rest and recreation spot for monks and royalty—in the foreground, where it stands out against a light-colored sky with the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains in the distance.El Campillo, now a private estate along the road linki
After the death of Philip IV in 1665, his widow Mariana (1634-1696) became regent. She is depicted here as both widow and regent in the Hall of Mirrors in the Alcázar in Madrid. The writing implements on the desk allude to her responsibilities as ruler. The overt inclusion of the royal palace into the royal portrait is one of the features that characterises the court portrait after Vel&aacu
Saint Paul fell from his horse as he heard Christ’s words “Why persecutest thou me?” which brought about his conversion. Murillo’s interpretation is notably dynamic, making use of the contrast between the area only occupied by the glow of light and the figure of Christ, and the crowded group of Saint Paul and his companions, set against a dark background.
Giuseppe Recco, a member of one of the most famous families of Neapolitan still-life painters in the seventeenth century, was born in Naples on 12 July 1634. His vast output was consistently high in quality and is characterised by a marked cultural eclecticism, taking in a number of different still-life styles, from Spanish to northern European to Roman, with an unusual iconographic versatility.In
Es pareja de un retrato de similares características que representa a otra niña de edad y rasgos parecidos (P1227), por lo que se supone que eran hermanas. Sus vestidos, con el escote horizontal y las mangas abiertas, son representativos de la moda española de hacia 1660. Como ha ocurrido con numerosas pinturas, durante gran parte del siglo XIX, se creyeron ambas realizadas por Velázquez. Entre la