Philip Iv at Fraga 1644
Seminar Paper: Velazquez Portrait of Philip IV at Fraga 1644
Philip IV at Fraga was painted in 1644 during his Argonese campaign to take back the city of Lerida from the French. It was painted by the Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez who was Philip’s court painter who accompanied him to Fraga. Velázquez used oil paint on canvass to create an impressionist portrait depicting Philip IV in his military uniform holding his sword and baton of command. It can now be located in The Frick Collection in New York.
Philip IV ascended to the throne in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death in 1665. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the challenging period of the Thirty Years ' War. In order to gain back the Spanish territory lost to the French and Philip’s prestige and honour he personally led a campaign to recapture the city of Lerida in 1643. With 15,000 men he lay siege to the city of Lerida and established his base in Fraga an hours ride away. The French presence on Spanish soil could not go on challenged. When a French force assembled to defend Lerida the Spanish General wished to abandon the siege the King made it clear that the siege would continue. In a theatre production of events after the campaign it is recorded that Philip said,
‘You must continue with the siege… Because I shall never withdraw from Lerida until my army is routed or the place is taken. I count myself here as being in one of my army’s sections, and will not give up whilst my right arm can wield a sword-since I value my personal reputation more than a world empire’.
When Philip’s army managed to outflank and defeat the French army he was vindicated for his actions.
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in 1599 and became the leading artist in Philip IV court thanks to the patronage of Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Ribera y Velasco de Tovar, Count of Olivares and Duke of San Lúcar la Mayor
Philip IV at Fraga was painted in 1644 during his Argonese campaign to take back the city of Lerida from the French. It was painted by the Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez who was Philip’s court painter who accompanied him to Fraga. Velázquez used oil paint on canvass to create an impressionist portrait depicting Philip IV in his military uniform holding his sword and baton of command. It can now be located in The Frick Collection in New York.
Philip IV ascended to the throne in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death in 1665. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the challenging period of the Thirty Years ' War. In order to gain back the Spanish territory lost to the French and Philip’s prestige and honour he personally led a campaign to recapture the city of Lerida in 1643. With 15,000 men he lay siege to the city of Lerida and established his base in Fraga an hours ride away. The French presence on Spanish soil could not go on challenged. When a French force assembled to defend Lerida the Spanish General wished to abandon the siege the King made it clear that the siege would continue. In a theatre production of events after the campaign it is recorded that Philip said,
‘You must continue with the siege… Because I shall never withdraw from Lerida until my army is routed or the place is taken. I count myself here as being in one of my army’s sections, and will not give up whilst my right arm can wield a sword-since I value my personal reputation more than a world empire’.
When Philip’s army managed to outflank and defeat the French army he was vindicated for his actions.
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in 1599 and became the leading artist in Philip IV court thanks to the patronage of Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Ribera y Velasco de Tovar, Count of Olivares and Duke of San Lúcar la Mayor
Bibliography: Brown, Jonathan. ‘Painting in Spain 1500-1700’ (Yale, 1998) pp.179-180 Frick Collection Press Release ‘Spanish-Themed Fall Features A Keenly Anticipated Examination of Velazquez’s Portrait of Phillip IV’ (2011) Gardner, Helen. Kleiner, Fred S. Mamiya, Christian J. ‘Gardner 's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective,’ (Cengage Learning, 2006) pp.590-591 Knox, Giles Stradling, R. A. ‘Philip IV and the Government of Spain, 1621-1665’ (Cambridge University Press, 2002) pp219-220 Stratton-Pruitt, Suzanne L [ 2 ]. Stradling, R. A. ‘Philip IV and the Government of Spain, 1621-1665’ (Cambridge University Press, 2002) pp219-220 [ 3 ] [ 6 ]. Gardner, Helen. Kleiner, Fred S. Mamiya, Christian J. ‘Gardner 's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective,’ (Cengage Learning, 2006) pp.590-591 [ 7 ] [ 8 ]. Stratton-Pruitt, Suzanne L. ‘The Cambridge Companion to Velazquez’ (Cambridge, 2002) pp.82 [ 9 ] [ 16 ]. Frick Collection Press Release ‘Spanish-Themed Fall Features A Keenly Anticipated Examination of Velazquez’s Portrait of Phillip IV’ (2011) p.4 [ 17 ]