Page 210 - El arte del poder

fig. 64
Louis Michel van Loo, Equestrian Portrait of Philip V. Oil on canvas, 345 x 264 cm. Patrimonio Nacional. Segovia, Palacio Real de la Granja de San Ildefonso
Louis Michel van Loo, Retrato ecuestre de Felipe V. Óleo sobre lienzo, 345 x 264 cm. Patrimonio Nacional. Segovia, Palacio Real de la Granja de San Ildefonso
armaments for war. Other centers of major importance were located in Flanders and, to a lesser extent, in the Basque Country. As we have seen, up until the mid sixteenth century most luxury arms made for the Spanish court were commissioned from the German centers—not only for the royal household but also for the leading aristocratic families. Milan and northern Italy continued to produce armaments of all kinds, although it was not until the last quarter of the sixteenth century that the luxury items made by them again enjoyed prominence.
It is important to stress in this connection that nearly all the portraits in armor from this period up until 1560-1570 show German-made armors, and the Italian centers are sparsely represented. This aspect, illustrated here by the portraits of Don Carlos and Don John of Austria (cat. 56 and 57), is of great interest because it signifies that both armors and court portraiture are a reflection of the territorial power of the Spanish monarchy. Commissions ceased to be given to the German centers during the 1570s; this phenomenon can be explained by the fact that they were no longer under Spanish influence and were now controlled by the Austrian branch of the Habsburgs. The Spanish crown lost its sway over them and their armors were no longer featured in court portraits. Conversely, during the last third of the century, Milan took over and Milanese arms were most commonly represented in portraits of this kind as the city was now controlled by Spanish governors. The El Escorial portrait of Philip III by Pantoja and Van Dyck’s portrait of Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy illustrate this phenomenon in the exhibition (cat. 63 and 67).
Spain retained its control of Flanders until the mid seventeenth century, and Flemish armors are represented in the exhibition by the portrait of Philip IV painted by Gaspar de Crayer between 1627 and 1632. Crayer drew inspiration from one of the suits of armor sent from Brussels by Philip’s aunt, the infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, in 1626 (cat. 64-65), and his painting is the last known example of the relationship between the commissioning of a painting and the receipt of an armor of superb quality. It was the monarch who chose to have his portrait painted in this armor of such special significance. In this regard it illustrates the relationship between armors and their owners that had characterized sixteenth-century portraits but had fallen into disuse by the second quarter of the seventeenth century.
centros de gran importancia se localizaban en Flandes y, en menor medida, en el País Vasco. Como hemos visto, hasta mediados del siglo XVI la mayor parte de las comisiones de armaduras de lujo para la corte española se realizaban en los centros alemanes, no sólo para la casa real, sino también para las principales familias aristocráticas. Por su parte, Milán y el norte de Italia continuaron produciendo armamento de todas clases, aunque no será hasta el último cuarto del siglo XVI cuan- do sus producciones de lujo vuelvan a adquirir protagonismo.
En este contexto es importante señalar que casi la totali- dad de los retratos en armadura de este periodo reflejan has- ta 1560-1570 producciones alemanas, sin que exista una repre- sentanción de importancia de los centros italianos. Este aspecto, aquí representado por los retratos de don Carlos y de don Juan de Austria (cat. 56 y 57), es de gran interés por- que significa que tanto las armaduras como el retrato de cor- te son un reflejo del poder territorial de la monarquía hispa- na. En esta década cesan los encargos a los centros alemanes, fenómeno explicable porque ya no se encuentran bajo la influencia española y sí bajo la de la rama austriaca de los Habsburgo. La Corona española pierde el control sobre ellos y sus armaduras dejan de estar presentes en el retrato de cor- te. Por el contrario, desde el último tercio de siglo, Milán tomó el relevo y desde entoces serán las armas milanesas las más representadas en este tipo de retrato gracias al control de la ciudad por gobernadores españoles. Los retratos de Felipe III de El Escorial por Pantoja y de Manuel Filiberto de Sabo- ya por Van Dyck son un claro ejemplo dentro de la exposi- ción (cat. 63 y 67).
El control español sobre Flandes hasta mediados del siglo XVII fue la excepción, ya que propició la representación de armaduras flamencas, ilustradas en esta exposición por el retra- to de Felipe IV que Gaspar de Crayer pintó entre 1627 y 1632. Crayer se inspiró en una de las enviadas desde Bruselas por su tía la infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia en 1626 (cat. 64 y 65), por lo que este cuadro destaca por ser el último exponente cono- cido de la relación entre el encargo de la obra pictórica y la recepción de una armadura de extraordinaria calidad. Es el
the royal armory in spanish court portraits 209