The mural paintings that decorated the house known as “la Quinta del Sordo,” where Goya lived have come to be known as the Black Paintings, because he used so many dark pigments and blacks in them, an [+]
Nothing is known of this middle-aged gentleman with his black doublet and cloak, against which the wide, segmented ruff or gola and the delicate white cuff at his right wrist stand out. At his waist a [+]
The scene, with a distinctly genre flavour, depicts a passage from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616). The main figure, wearing armour, kneels awaiting to be dubbed a knight; the amusing f [+]
Ferdinand IV (1751-1825) was the third son of Charles VII of Naples and his wife, Maria Amalia of Saxony. When his father acceded to the Spanish throne as Charles III in 1759, he became king of Naples [+]
Saint Mena extends his arms and raises his gaze to Heaven, refusing to worship the graven idol presented to him at the left of the composition. As a result, he was martyred and decapitated. His suffer [+]
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 [+]
This canvas depicts an uncommon manifestation of the Virgin Mary that became popular in eighteenth-century Andalusia. She is seated on a rock surrounded by her flock, holding a rose in her left hand a [+]
In an architectural setting, a winged Victory crowns David with a laurel wreath. The latter holds his sword with one hand and looks directly at Goliath´s decapitated head, which rests on some pieces o [+]
Ubaldo y Carlo lograron penetrar en el palacio encantado de Armida, donde se encontraba ella con Reinaldo, entregados a sus juegos amatorios. Reinaldo, apoyado sobre la joven, contempla su rostro refl [+]
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 [+]
Michel-Ange Houasse, son of the painter René-Antoine Houasse (c.1645-1710), had enjoyed a long career during the reign of Louis XIV of France (r.1643-1715). From 1715 until his death, Michel-An [+]
The Cardinal-Infante is depicted in full body armor, with a black hat, a staff and a red sash. He is portrayed as a general of the Spanish Armies during the Battle of Nördlingen when, in 1634, th [+]
This preparatory sketch for the large-scale canvas painted by Madrazo in Rome (also on display in this room) reveals various differences with respect to the final composition. Madrazo gave more space [+]
Juan Francisco Alfonso de Pimentel Ponce de León, 10th Count and 7th Duke of Benavente (1584-1652), is portrayed more than half length with a whole host of attributes that confirm is supreme mi [+]
The panel shows three different scenes: in the distance on the left Salome’s dance, and on the right Salome is giving Herodias the Baptist’s head. In the foreground the beheading has already taken pla [+]
This image of King Charles III was paired with a portrait of his wife, Maria Amalia of Saxony (P2201), although the image of the queen was not painted in her presence. Instead, it was invented on the [+]
This allegorical work, signed on the column lying on the ground in the centre of the composition, shows two women in Roman garb sitting on clouds. Representing Justice and Peace, they embrace and seem [+]
In its present state the painting reveals two different phases of creation. The apparent age of the sitter and the notable similarities with his appearance in Velázquez`s portrait of the elderl [+]