  Diego Velázquez Sebastián de Morra, ca. 1645 © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid  Peter Paul Rubens Mercury and Argus, 1636-1638 © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid  Claude Lorrain Port of Ostia with the Embarkation of St Paula, 1639-1640 © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid  Diego Velázquez Juan Martinez Montañés June 1635 - January 1636 © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid  Diego Velázquez Baltasar Carlos as Hunter, 1635-1636 © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid  Diego Velázquez Mars, ca. 1639-1641 © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid |
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Museo Nacional del Prado in Bonn Velázquez, Rubens and Lorrain Painting at the court of Philip IV 8 October 1999 - 23 January 2000       The 'new' Prado (Text, photos and video, German page only)    
On the occasion of the 400th birthday of Diego Velázquez, the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle is showing over 65 masterpieces in the exhibition Velázquez, Rubens and Lorrain. Painting at the Court of Philip IV. Museo Nacional del Prado in Bonn, which were created by outstanding European artists commissioned by Philip IV. The Museo Nacional del Prado, as heir to the respectable collection of the Spanish royal house, today owns some of the most important historical painting series in the world which are beyond comparison in terms of comprehensiveness, diversity, and quality. The selection for the exhibition in Bonn was made from these first-rate holdings. "Diego de Silva Velázquez – this name was still hardly known on this side of the Pyrenees a hundred years ago and least of all in Germany. The circle of artists of the highest rank seemed to have been closed for a long time, and nobody imagined that far away in the southwest, in the castles of Madrid and in Buen Retiro, the legitimate title of an artist remained concealed, who had full claim to a seat under the gods above." (Carl Justi, 1888). Diego Velázquez is today considered one of the top-ranked artists in western art. The exhibition honors this "painter of painters" as Eduard Manet called Velázquez in admiration. Besides his own works, the paintings of outstanding Baroque artists show the results of his services for the Spanish King Philip IV, which involved purchasing paintings and sculptures in Italy, sometimes commissioning leading European artists to create entire painting series, and working out the details for decoration projects. These works were destined to embellish the royal residences of Philip IV in and around Madrid in the most effective and splendid manner. Views of these palaces provide an introduction to the exhibition. The "Works of Hercules" by Francisco Zurbarán, which decorated one of the most representative halls of the Buen Retiro Palace, displayed the significance of this Greek mythological hero for the Spanish Habsburg House, which regarded Hercules as its precursor. Master painters such as Domenichino, Guercino, Massimo Stanzione, and Artemisia Gentileschi also provided paintings for the Buen Retiro, which – designed as series – told stories of ancient Rome and the Bible, such as the life of John the Baptist. Peter Paul Rubens created an extensive block of over 60 paintings on mythological figures from history for the hunting lodge, Torre de la Parada, together with painters from his studio and other artists from Antwerp. He impressively depicted the origin of the world and the creation of man, with all his emotions and passions. The series of classical landscapes which embellished the Buen Retiro illustrate the interest in nature in the Baroque period. The hermits depicted in the paintings of Claude Lorrain, Nicolas Poussin, Gaspard Dughet, and Herman van Swaneveld refer to the hermitages located in the palace park. Claude Lorrains’s so-called "second series" paintings for Philip IV and the Buen Retiro represent some of the painter’s best works and are also considered as a highpoint in European landscape painting. The court of Philip IV, presumably one of the most important art collectors of the 17th century, certainly also attracted Spanish artists.The works of Francisco Zurbarán and Alonso Cano show the influence of Philip IV’s superb collection of paintings on these two artists from Seville on a high artistic level. A second group of Spanish artists represents the generation after Velázquez at the court in Madrid. Their style is often referred to as "lo velazqueño", but as one can see from their works, their greatest sources of inspiration included Rubens and Tizian besides Velázquez. The Museo Nacional del Prado is presenting itself outside the museum for the first time in more than 60 years in an exhibition. Moreover, the new architecture of the Prado extension by Rafael Moneo is shown in model and drafts. Unique is also the fact that the Prado has provided six paintings by Diego Velázquez at the same time for an exhibition. Events Accompanying the Exhibition Audiovision in the Central Cabinet "Art and Reality" Painting in 17th Century Spain" This slide show with music is moderated "live" by a Cicerone (duration approx. 20 minutes). As an introduction to the exhibition, historical and artistic information provides a background for the exhibition to unfold. Every day on the full and half hour in the central cabinet on the upper floor. Installation in the Central Cabinet "Whom did Velázquez Paint?" Perhaps the most famous work by Velázquez is the painting "Las Meninas". It is not only famous because of the magnificent way in which it was painted, but also due to its puzzling nature. Until now it cannot be clearly interpreted. The installation allows visitors to enter the painting’s composition and experience it from various perspectives. email: Dr. Angelica Francke, Project Manager |
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