These four portraits of women, two double ones and two single ones (P02073, P02074 and P02076) presented standing and down to kneelevel, use the same architectural setting. The series is given visual unity by the use of a central niche and two more, barely visible ones at the sides, separated by masonry pillars and decorated with small lions’ heads in the centre.This use of shared elements is prob
These four portraits of women, two double ones and two single ones (P02073, P02075 and P02076) presented standing and down to kneelevel, use the same architectural setting. The series is given visual unity by the use of a central niche and two more, barely visible ones at the sides, separated by masonry pillars and decorated with small lions’ heads in the centre.This use of shared elements is prob
In this popular scene, two people, one dressed in eighteenth century fashion, with a cape and two-cornered hat, are depicted in front of the Pavilion of Carlos V in the Gardens of the Alcázar of Seville. The presence of the man deliberately recalls the small genre scenes made popular by Madrazo’s brother-in-law, Mariano Fortuny, to whom this painting may be seen as a playful tribute.This is
This is one of four depictions of spectacles from ancient Rome that Domenico Gargiulo and Viviano Codazzi painted for the large History of Rome series at the Buen Retiro Palace. Of those four, in which Gargiulo painted the figures and Codazzi the architecture, two more have survived: Perspective of a Roman Amphitheater (P2632) and Perspective of a Gymnasium (P6210). The fourth, now lost, is listed
These four portraits of women, two double ones and two single ones (P02074, P02075 and P02076) presented standing and down to kneelevel, use the same architectural setting. The series is given visual unity by the use of a central niche and two more, barely visible ones at the sides, separated by masonry pillars and decorated with small lions’ heads in the centre.This use of shared elements is prob
Trained from childhood at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, Mariano Sánchez specialized in landscapes and views. Contemporary documents reveal also a talent for miniatures and portraits, which took him to Lisbon in the service of the King of Portugal. In 1781, King Charles III commissioned him to paint a series of 118 vistas of ports, bays, islands, and arsenals in Spain. In 1803, for
This view of Aranjuez Palace was painted in 1756, on the occasion of the celebration of the saint´s day of King Fernando VI (1713-1759). This work was one of a group of views of the Palace and of the celebrations that took place there. Originally, there were probably four, but only this one and View of Aranjuez Palace (P04180, also in the Prado Museum) remain. The moment depicted here is the passa
This view of Aranjuez Palace was painted in 1756, on the occasion of the celebration of the saint´s day of King Fernando VI (1713-1759). This work was one of a group of views of the Palace and of the celebrations that took place there. Originally, there were probably four, but only this one and Fernando VI and Bárbara de Braganza in the Gardens of Aranjuez (P04181, also in the Prado Museum)
This is one of the Spanish Renaissance’s most emblematic depictions of a female figure and the best known of Yáñez de la Almedina’s works. Both considerations are due to the visibility this work has received at the Museo del Prado, where it has been one of the essential icons in its galleries of 16th-century Spanish painting ever since it arrived in 1946. According to Jacopo de la Vo
Rico combines his interest in the old buildings of Toledo, a city that he visited in 1875, with the picturesque motif of donkeys bearing water pitchers. His composition is based on various rapid, deft sketches that he made in one of his notebooks. The principal focus of interest is the effect of the dazzling sunlight of Toledo as it falls on the house façades.
In 1814, Goya addressed the reagent, Cardinal Luis de Bourbon, offering to make works commemorating events from the War of Independence (1808-1812): "to perpetuate, with a paintbrush, the most notable and heroic actions or scenes of our glorious uprising against the tyrant of Europe". The present work depicts the popular riot of 2 May, 1808, when the people of Madrid attacked the Mamelukes —Turkis
At the time this painting was executed the palace of Coudenberg was the seat of the court of the Archduke Albert and the Archduchess Isabel Clara Eugenia in Brussels. This lively depiction of the palace and its surroundings was painted by artists in their service.
On August 29, 1626, King Philip IV’s painter, Vicente Carducho (ca. 1576-1638), signed a contract for the creation of a cycle of paintings to celebrate the founding of the Carthusian Order by Saint Bruno and its leading members. This colossal undertaking sought to visually narrate numerous episodes from the Carthusians’ history and tradition. It was the most complete commission ever dedicated to t
On August 29, 1626, King Philip IV’s painter, Vicente Carducho (ca. 1576-1638), signed a contract for the creation of a cycle of paintings to celebrate the founding of the Carthusian Order by Saint Bruno and its leading members. This colossal undertaking sought to visually narrate numerous episodes from the Carthusians’ history and tradition. It was the most complete commission ever dedicated to t
Within the brick and masonry walls of a traditional Castilian corral at a country house, a group of Majos and Majas rest on the ground and share a light meal. The elegance of some of their clothing, and the sword on the left, along with the youths´ somewhat unrefined flirting, indicate that the lords have been joined by some of the locals. A typical element in this sort of images rests on th
A large auto-da-fé took place in Madrid on 30 June 1680 in the Plaza Mayor, presided over by the young Charles II (reigned 1665-1700) and his mother, Mariana of Austria, who are shown here beneath a canopy. Organised by the Inquisition, autos-da-fé were public ceremonies involving prisoners condemned for crimes against religion. Rizi’s canvas is the finest and most detailed depiction
Sánchez worked at the Madrid court and was commissioned to paint several views of the regions of Spain, with particular emphasis on ports, during the reign of Charles III. This painting belongs to a long series of panoramic views by the artist, infused with a flavour that is more topographical than artistic. The bridge at Molins de Rey (Barcelona) was built between 1763 and 1767 and was dem
This portrait of the wife of the banker Henry O’Shea reveals the British influence on Madrazo’s fully romantic period. Her social position is indicated by the quality of the fabrics, laces and jewels, and by the elegant arrangement of the hands. The books allude to the culture of this lady, who was a friend to the writer Washington Irving.