Velazquez's painting “Surrender of Breda” Interpretation at different levels. Description of the painting by Velazquez “Surrender of Breda Description of the painting D

"The Surrender of Breda" was one of twelve battle paintings created to perpetuate the memory of the victories of the troops of Philip IV. All of them were intended for the hall of kingdoms

As you know, before Velazquez, for a long time there was an idea of depicting battle scenes. There were strict rules and a whole system of symbols and allegories that the artist had to strictly observe. So, for example, the faces of the winners were supposed to be arrogant (arrogant) and triumphant, while the faces and gestures of the vanquished were supposed to be humiliated and servile (slavishly flattering). The painters sought to glorify their rulers as magnificently and fantastically as possible, bringing them closer to the inhabitants of heaven. Velazquez decided to subordinate his canvas to the main idea: to express respect for the vanquished and, above all, to see in the defeated (the one who lost) a person - and this is the main humanistic idea of this work. Thus, a monument was created not to military art and tactics, but, to a large extent, to the nobility of character of the victorious commander. The artist pays tribute to the enemy army, a small nation of Dutch who are fighting for their freedom, having the courage to oppose a world power.

This is the innovative courage of the author’s work and this confirms that it was written in a critical, transitional period between the ideas about ideals that appeared in the Renaissance (antiquity) and the harsh realities of the New Time (the flourishing of science, the connection with religion is noticeably weakened. As a result this religious and mythological subjects get rid of excessive pathos, are filled with deep vitality and naturalness, more freedom appears in art, the importance of original things increases compositional solutions, color, picturesqueness, flavor.

The painting itself was created by the painter around 1634-1635. It was supposed to perpetuate the memory of the capitulation, which was considered an impregnable fortress (Breda), and symbolize the glory and invincibility of the Spanish royal house, referring to the events of ten years ago from the history of the Spanish-Dutch War. Capitulation of what was considered an impregnable fortress, after months of siege (a long military operation, often in the form of a blockade of a city or fortress, with the intention of capturing the object by subsequent assault or forcing the garrison to capitulate) of the city by Spanish troops under the command of Ambrosio Spinola , in 1625, was exalted as the greatest strategic achievement of the time. The work is done on canvas with oil. The dimensions of the canvas are simply amazing (307 x 367 cm). Today it is on public display in the Prado Museum (Madrid).

The artist depicted the moment of the transfer of the keys to the city by Governor Justino of Nassau to the Spanish commander Marquis (Western European noble title) Ambrosio Spinola. It should also be noted that the presentation of the city keys to the soldiers of the enemy army means one thing: the city surrendered. This custom was born in those distant times, when almost all European cities were large or not very large fortresses, which were actually locked with keys at night.

Diego Velazquez created a huge number of portrait images, the strength of which lies in the depth of psychological analysis and the precise refinement of characteristics. The painter in portraits does not flatter the models, but represented each in their individual uniqueness, national and social character.

As for “The Surrender of Breda,” the originality of the artist’s method reached a new peak in it: he strives to reveal in the integral unity of the soldiers the essential character traits, spiritual and mental make-up of each person in their complexity and contradictions. The master gives correct, psychological characteristics of the main characters . The painting includes several portraits: a portrait of the winner Spinola himself, perhaps a portrait of the artist himself, who was not present at the surrender of Breda: he places his self-portrait (a young man in a hat at the right edge of the picture) in the community of the Spanish army, and, of course, is depicted the second representative from the warring parties is Justino. Using the simplest means and techniques, the artist recreates life in all its truth, simplicity and at the same time charm - a mystery that still amazes us today. The portraits he painted of soldiers of both armies are distinguished by the fidelity of the depicted physiognomies, the conveyance of individual type, expression of national pride and a sense of dignity. Nature is reflected in them as in a mirror; there is not even a shadow of any convention in them. Thus, behind Spinola’s external secular restraint one can feel both the proud consciousness of victory and the nobility of his nature: he courteously greets the vanquished, paying tribute to the courage and unbroken spirit of the Dutch. Walking heavily, with his head bare, he goes to meet the winner of Nassau, it seems he is ready to kneel, handing over the keys, and Spinola dismounted, took off his hat and, stretching out his hand, did not allow the Dutchman to kneel. With the elegance of a true knight, he places his right hand on the Dutchman's shoulder, holding his hat and marshal's baton in his left. The Spaniard greets the commandant in a friendly manner. The Spaniard does not seem to notice that von Nassau is handing over the keys to him. It is clear that Spinola is concerned in every possible way that his opponents do not feel in the slightest degree the humiliation of the situation; he treats von Nassau not as a defeated enemy, but, on the contrary, as a person who, in his unenviable position, cannot be denied sympathy. The Dutchman's movement forms a clear diagonal, thereby expressing his subordinate position, and the winner's movements are full of courtesy and respect for the defeated, the Spaniard's face expresses ordinary human feelings - feelings of empathy and respect. Their poses and gestures are justified and natural. The Dutchman is excited and deeply worried about the event, he appears somewhat defenseless in the image, this feeling is conveyed by a certain hunched position in front of the Spaniard and a detail: the hat is removed, but Spinola also stands with his head uncovered as a sign of respect. In what other historical painting of the 17th century, depicting a military episode, can one hear so many more human sounds that touch the soul! It clearly sounds a peaceful note of human respect for the valor of the enemy. Looking at the features of two people, it becomes clear that it is the humanistic idea that distinguishes “The Surrender of Breda” from previous works on historical topics. This is new, something that did not exist before Velazquez, this is his feature by which you recognize his work, his creativity.

It is also interesting how the deep difference in the attire of the two commanders is striking: Justin is dressed in a marching, golden-brown suit, devoid of ceremonial gloss; Spinola is clad in black armor, over which a pink scarf is tied - this contrast reveals the differences between them and gives the work a special flavor and truthfulness. This is also a factor proving that this work belongs to a turning point, a time of struggle between the new and the old in Spanish society. In Velazquez’s painting we no longer see the behavior of an exemplary knight, but a formula for the relations of people of the New Age.

It is impossible not to say that the transfer of the keys to the Dutch fortress of Breda to the Spaniards is a semantic and central geometric node of the composition. Everything revolves around the key hovering in the center, as if it contains some kind of mystery, as if the further course of events will depend on what and how they do with it. The attention of almost all the characters is drawn to what is happening in the center, which is emphasized by the aspect of lighting and aerial perspective. The “key” of the composition and movement of the figures connects the left and right parts of the picture (warring armies) and at the same time creates the depth of space. The breadth of the concept is emphasized by the landscape, in which the reflections of flames and smoke of a fire merge with the silvery fog of a summer morning. And, looking at the landscape panorama unfolding behind people’s backs, you notice how the artist sketchily, without a thick overlay of paints, reproduces complex and subtle effects, enhancing the spatiality of the image. The entire background is pushed into an immeasurable distance: only here and there traces of a recent battle can be discerned. Velazquez accurately conveys the signs of the area. He wants to truthfully convey not only the event, but also the location of the action.

Both groups of soldiers are characterized objectively, identifying the differences in the national and social characteristics of each of them. Their faces are portrait-like and at the same time typical, which enhances the significance of what is happening and turns a small event into an image of something historically important.

On the right side of the picture, the Spaniards are huddled tightly, monolithically, with spears victoriously directed upward, creating an image of a powerful force, designed to demonstrate the power of the Spanish state. The guns form a single wall, cutting off the front plane of the canvas from the back (it is no coincidence that the painting also bears the second name “Spears”). The Spaniards have similar hairstyles, mustaches, and sophisticated facial expressions. They form an organized formation, standing closely together as a single cohesive mass. And Diego skillfully weakens this tense spot with the horse’s croup (butt), thereby preserving the harmonious structure of the picture. The Spanish soldiers stand so densely that the people block each other, and those behind are depicted as standing above.

The group of Dutchmen on the left side of the picture is placed more freely and at ease, their disorganization and spontaneity conveyed by the variety of clothes and poses. Each defender of the city is individual: despite the significance of the moment (handing over the keys), the Dutch do not observe military formation: one stands with his back to the viewer, the other sideways, a young man in white talks to a comrade in arms, putting a hat on his musket (weapon). And other Dutch people hold weapons arbitrarily. The faces of the garrison militia do not bear the stamp of fear and admiration - on the contrary, they are filled with some kind of internal ebullient activity, people are keenly interested in what is happening. And although their spears and banners bowed before the enemy, the expression of independence of spirit dominates in free poses and open faces. No, the Dutch are not defeated; having been defeated, they do not lose heart. This is noticeable in their poses and the nature of their movements. A new fight is ahead! And again one feels the ephemerality of the Spaniards’ victory - the future belongs to people of a new formation, professing new values and ideals. The painter makes the viewer think about the collision of old and new, while the internal flow in the picture is not immediately noticeable, and it seems that the painter does not take the position of either side. And only a true master can do this.

Velasquez strives for the most truthful portrayal of characters, the master carefully peers into the faces of his opponents, and one can feel his genuine interest in each person. All “illuminated” faces are unique and at the same time similar to each other. The artist creates the most magnificent portraits of military leaders and ordinary soldiers, and you understand that personalities grow before us, with their thoughts, dreams and hopes for the best, but Diego Velazquez does not imitate the Baroque masters, does not strive to throw out a sea of feelings on canvas - the artist conveys only natural, realistic movements of the souls and bodies of people located on opposite sides of the main action. And again the motive of equality, the denial of the superiority of some over others, appears in the picture. In addition to the striking portrait resemblance, there is a noticeable commonality that forms a kind of “unity of body” of the Spanish army. In a completely natural way, it emerged through a smooth transition from the middle ground to the foreground and filled the historical scene. Spinola also took a step towards his army, retreating from the front line of the historical ramp, and thereby gained physical, moral and spiritual unity with his soldiers. Velazquez masterfully used the technique of antithesis at the level of the following categories: movement-rest, volume-flatness, warm-cold colors, giving preference in some way to the Netherlands, which reveals in the artist the gift of a seer who saw the future power of Holland. It is the defeated Justin de Nassau who is depicted in action - he advances heavily and slowly, while Spinola stands. The figures of the Dutch are voluminous and materially tactile; they actively advance thanks to the light and warm color scheme(accents of yellow-gold, white and green) and literally move into the real space of the viewer (a figure in yellow on the edge of the picture). In addition, they are psychologically active, which is expressed both in the individualization of each person’s reaction to events, and in a direct appeal to the viewer (the look of a man with a musket in green). At the same time, the ranks of the Spanish army are deployed in depth, and seem to retreat from the picture plane, gradually flattening and merging with the planar graphics of the pattern of spears and the blue of the sky. This impression is also facilitated by the visual “retreat” of dark and sophisticated cold tones of blue and pearl pink. Before our eyes, real people turn into the past of the fresco, the myth of the copies recedes before the reality of a tightly tailored halberd and a musket that is completely ineffective in appearance, victory turns into defeat.

And the moment of silence in the battle scene is no longer so unexpected: impending changes are felt in the air (let us at least remember the internal flow to which we addressed above): people listen attentively, trying to catch these changes. And that’s why the motive of listening is so important in Velazquez’s painting - the page of Nassau, the young man in white behind the commander, the solemnly frozen Spanish and hushed Dutch armies, the heavens themselves, stopped in their movement, call for this directly, with an expressive gesture.

In Diego Velazquez's painting, the composition is extremely clear and tactile. In the center is the main event - the handing over of the keys. Moreover, it is formed by the movement of two key figures, the contrast of which in relation to those around them is so active that the artist (in order not to destroy the integrity of the composition) “stopped” them with the rhythm of the spears and the croup of the horse on the right side of the picture. The center - the “key” - is surrounded by double scenes: with the help of figures of commanders and soldiers (a trend of classicism), there is an emphasis on this epic event. Thanks to this, a special harmony of all elements of the picture is achieved. But compositionally, the picture is divided into two parts: the upper one is free, the lower one is occupied by figures.

There is also a rhythm of symmetrical groups in the picture. On the left is the Dutch army, on the right is the Spanish army, in the center is empty space, pause. Moreover, the nature of the rhythm within the symmetrical groups on the left and right is different. The right group - the army of the winners - has a rhythm that creates the impression of solidity and strength. This impression is emphasized by the nature of the spears and the turn of the horse in the foreground. The rhythm of the defeated army on the left creates the impression of greater fragmentation; the figures, closer to the foreground than on the right, do not allow many figures to be depicted. This creates the impression of a small and weak army.

It’s amazing how the artist managed to create a moment of unity, unity, despite the fact that the armies are still quite different. The moment of generalization is achieved precisely with the help of stripes of rhythms that encircle the central part and ensure the interconnection of all parts of the picture.

And in compositional terms, this work is a striking example of the art of the New Age and can be safely attributed to the non-steel line.

The color scheme of the painting.

Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velazquez is one of the first masters of valerie painting. The gray tones of his paintings shimmer in many shades, and the blacks are light and transparent. The bright warm colors of the clothes of the Dutch, the cold bluish-green of the Spaniards, are illuminated by an even silvery light, creating an atmosphere of early morning and forming a rich light-air environment. The masterly brush stroke is varied: interesting ways of applying paint - from gentle, imperceptible touches of the brush in the background to energetic strokes and free bravura strokes that shape the shape and volume of people’s clothes. The advantages of color are combined in Velazquez’s painting with clarity and majestic simplicity of composition and a sense of proportion.

The impeccable fidelity and refined sophistication of Velázquez’s eye is amazing, as he knows how to enjoy both the richness and depth of the bright color chords of the foreground. And at the same time, we notice the subtlest reflexes interacting with halftones and chiaroscuro, which enhances the transfer of materiality.

The painter turns to the problem of the formation of the air environment: dull dark shadows disappear, sharp lines, silvery light and air literally envelop the figures. Pleasant gray tones mute the brightness of the individual colors of the picture. An unprecedented sense of depth appears, the artist truthfully reproduces the state of the Dutch air, filled with moisture from the nearby sea. Everything speaks eloquently about Velazquez’s desire to convey reality more fully and reliably.

The coloristic solution is sparing, but unusually rich: it is built on a few tones - black, yellow, pink and green - united by gray of varying strength, intensity and shade, from dark gray to pearl, and these various gray spots tie the individual elements of the picture into a single compositional whole.

This canvas is dominated by a noble, cold tone, from which only isolated spots of yellow, black and light shades of white emerge. The background is perceived as a vast distance, lost in the morning haze of fog and fires, in which two camps stand out.

Let us note the peculiar “game” of tone spots: the gaze goes from Spinola’s dark armor to the horse’s tail and further to the Dutch army’s own shadow.

It is impossible not to admire the precision and richness of Diego Velazquez's drawings. The artist carefully, using a brush, models the faces, hands, and clothes of the characters in the picture. The volume of figures is formed thanks to color solutions and numerous natural reflexes characteristic of the natural environment.

The artist actively uses line, with the help of which he conveys the movement of people. For example: the movement of the commandant enhances the transverse folds of his suit, as well as the position of his legs and the direction of his torso towards the right plane of the picture.

The painter skillfully models the hands: in them one can feel the natural movements of the two main characters towards each other. Velazquez depicts the characters anatomically correctly, although their bodies are hidden under clothing: Spinola stands slightly leaning on one of his legs and leaning towards the Dutchman.

Thanks to the rhythm of the lines, a smooth, lively movement is created, causing the feeling that the artist managed to capture a short moment, an episode from ordinary life.

The painter’s soft, airy contour not only outlines the edges of objects, but, gently curving, glides smoothly, and very often it simply disappears. This means that the master uses a “living line”, which enhances additional movements. For example, the Dutchman's traveling suit in the foreground.

The master actively uses chiaroscuro, with its help he achieves an amazing “naturalness” of the figures and gives the picture depth. And this is the exceptional talent of Diego Velazquez, who can convey the stunning effects of realistic vision. This once again confirms the fact that Diego, as an artist, contributed a lot of innovation to the art of the New Age. It is also gratifying to see how firmly and accurately the figures of the characters are drawn, forming a bizarre but harmonious pattern.

Having examined the painting “The Surrender of Breda”, it can be argued that in the work of Velazquez the leftist line, which originated in modern times, was most fully expressed. Based on this, Diego Velazquez in his work uses painting techniques that have a realistic orientation (aerial environment, chiaroscuro characteristic of natural light, harmonious color solutions of soft morning lighting, composition, and so on), and most importantly, this canvas embodies the hopes of people despite the fact that, despite the numerous problems of the new complex world encountered on a person’s path, they can be destroyed by good natural relationships (a connection with the Baroque is felt) - we can say with confidence that this canvas is most fully identified with the art of the New Age: first of all with an extra-steel line, and partly with Baroque and Classicism.

As for artistic techniques, Velazquez uses them so competently and accurately (“sculpting” forms, harmonious close tones, natural movements and complexity of composition) that this painting is rightfully the first example of a new canvas - a canvas of historical realism. The purpose of which is to truthfully convey, at a time of some upheaval, the complex feelings of a personality that was “rediscovered” by the masters of the Renaissance.

It can be said without exaggeration that the work of Diego Velazquez is a truthful representation of reality, which he masterfully embodied in “The Surrender of Breda.”

Velazquez Breda surrender scenic

The capture of Breda as a way to raise the morale of the army

In the Eighty Years' War, Spain fought to maintain Habsburg rule over the Spanish Netherlands, the Protestant part of which had seceded from the Spanish crown, creating the Union of Utrecht. From a military point of view, the siege of Breda was an extremely risky and completely useless enterprise, the main goal of which was to raise the morale of the troops, but from a political point of view it had a great effect. All of Europe closely followed the developments. Breda was considered one of the strongest bastions of the Dutch Republic in the fight against Spain in northern Brabant. Located at the intersection of several important roads and a navigable river, the fortress occupied an important strategic position in the Dutch defense line.

Public support

In addition to the soldiers, there were also civilians in the fortress - townspeople and peasants from nearby villages, who were looking for protection in the city from Spanish troops. Breda's male population of about 1,800 was armed and supported the soldiers.

Garrison of Breda

In peacetime, the garrison of Breda consisted of 17 rifle companies of 65 people each and 5 cavalry squadrons of 70 horsemen each. When it became known that the city would be under siege, each squadron was reinforced with another 30 horsemen. The infantry was replenished with 28 companies with a total number of 135 people. To preserve food, shortly before the siege, 3 squadrons were sent to Gertrudenberg. The total number of the garrison, including the 100 people guarding the castle, was approximately 5,200 soldiers.

Spanish army

The size of the Spanish army was about 80 thousand people. Of these, about 25 thousand people held the fortress in the blockade ring, the same number guarded the corridor for the supply of food and ammunition, the rest formed a reserve. The Spanish army was heterogeneous in its composition, the majority were Dutch and Germans. The predominant branch of service was infantry, followed by cavalry and a small number of Irish gunners. The infantry were armed with swords and five-meter pikes, rapiers, muskets or arquebuses. The cavalrymen were armed with a spear, two pistols or two pistols and an arquebus.

Delivery conditions

At the surrender of the city, Justin insisted on the presentation of religious freedom to the population of Breda, as well as on the honorable withdrawal of the armed garrison of Breda - with banners flying and drums beating - to Gertrudenberg. On June 2, Spinola and Justin signed the terms of surrender; three days later, on June 5, at about 9 a.m., the Breda garrison left the fortress.

Don Ambrogio Spinola Doria

Spanish commander from the Genoese family of Spinola. His family belonged to four oligarchic families that held control of the Genoese Republic in their hands. From the beginning of the 17th century he was in the service of the Spanish crown. The capture of Breda after an 11-month siege proved to be the highlight of Spinola's career. The commander's successes were interrupted by a lack of finance and a new favorite at the court, Olivares. When the Spanish court began a war for the possession of the Duchy of Mantua, Spinola was appointed. He landed in Genoa on September 19, 1629, but even here he was pursued by the intrigues of Olivares. Spinola's health broke down and he died during the siege of Casal on September 25, 1630.

Justin of Nassau

Dutch admiral, illegitimate son of William of Orange. He was governor of Breda for almost a quarter of a century. After the city was surrendered to the Spaniards in 1625, he went to Leiden, where he died 6 years later.

"Surrender of Breda." Diego Velazquez, 1634

Diego Velazquez depicted the events of June 5, 1625. The governor of the Dutch Breda, Justin of Nassau, hands over the keys to the city to the commander-in-chief of the Spanish troops, Ambrosio Spinola.

The painting was part of a battle cycle of 12 paintings, which was commissioned to perpetuate the memory of the victories of the troops of Philip IV. It was assumed that they would all be located in the Buen Retiro Palace. Next to them should have hung canvases by Francisco de Zurbaran, depicting ten episodes from the life of Hercules, as well as equestrian portraits of three generations of the ruling royal family: Philip III and his wife Margaret of Austria, Philip IV and Isabella of Bourbon, as well as Prince Balthazar Carlos, made by Velazquez and his workshop. The paintings were supposed to symbolize the glory and invincibility of the Spanish Habsburgs.

Elena MEDKOVA

Surrender of Breda

1635. Prado, Madrid

Velazquez's canvas “The Surrender of Breda” (307 x 367 cm) is part of a grandiose political project, conceived and implemented under the patronage of Count Olivares on the eve of the brewing military conflict between Spain and its main rival in the political arena - France.

In the period from 1630 to 1635, to the east of Madrid, the gigantic summer royal residence Bu en Retiro was built at an unusually fast pace, the semantic center of which became the Gallery of Battles, later called the Hall of Kingdoms. Twenty-seven paintings that decorated the palace were supposed to be allegorical (ten paintings about the exploits of Hercules by Zurbaran), documentary (twelve scenes of victories of Spanish weapons by Velazquez, Zurbaran, Cajes, Carducho, Maino Castelo, Pereda, D. Leonardo) and symbolic (five equestrian portraits of the royal family by Velazquez) form a testament to the power of the Spanish state and present the reign of Philip IV as a worthy continuation of the military-political successes of Spain in the 16th century.

Strengthening the myth of the invincibility of Spanish weapons was, according to the authorities, especially necessary in connection with the clearly felt spirit of general trouble in the state of affairs in the foreign and domestic political arena: the memories of the death of the Great Armada were still fresh, the Netherlands brutally and stubbornly resisted during the bloody Thirty Years war, little Holland successfully repelled the aggression of Spain and pushed it back in the sea. There was also unrest within Spain itself, which was realized in the subsequent separation of Portugal. Moreover, in Spanish society itself there was a feeling of fatigue from centuries of being at war, from imperial heroism and the hardships of world hegemony: the absence of a unifying goal like the Reconquista or the creation of a world empire undermined the discipline of the nation as a whole - the nobles were reluctant to join the army. According to Ortega y Gasset, “the bitter truth is that even exhausted, having lost its great commanders, pressed by enemies, Spain at that time could have survived if it had had a drop of pragmatic thinking, the ability to see facts, analyze them and accept the appropriate ones.” solutions". The Spanish authorities responded to the real threats of the time not by reorganizing troops or economic reforms, but by ideological action and the construction of a new palace.

Analysis of the works of G. Leonardo (“The Taking of Julier”), H.B. Maino (“The Conquest of Bahia”), F. Zurbaran (“Fernando Heron defends Cadiz from the British”) shows that they all fully shared the prevailing ideas about the essence of history at that time, rooted in medieval ideology, according to which the historical destiny of a nation is “ the fate of the family crowned" ( M.A. Barg), the fate of the dynasty and the king personally, who stood at the very beginning of the hierarchically structured “great chain of being.”

In ideological terms, the “chain of being” was thought of as a chain of ascent from the inorganic world to the world of plants, animals, humans and the divine world; in relation to society - as a hierarchy of classes. Since the time of Dionysius the Areopagite (5th century), the hierarchy has been based on the principle of the “degree of nobility” that was given at birth. According to this, the main characters of historical events, endowed with complete freedom of choice and action, could only be either the king himself or representatives of the nobility.

The “Conquest of Bailly” is presented by Maino as a divine miracle of the appearance of the face/portrait of King Philip IV on the battlefield (cf. myths about the role of the miraculous icon in repelling the enemy on the battlefield). At the same time, in the picture depicted inside the picture, another miracle occurs - the goddess of war Minerva herself crowns the king with a victor’s wreath. As a result, reality becomes doubly mythologized: the ancient myth overshadows the victory of the most faithful of the kings of the Christian world, who appropriates to himself the divine ability to perform miracles.

In “The Defense of Cadiz” by Zurbaran, the main characters of the historical event are representatives of the highest nobility. They, like divine puppeteers, move the figures in the “theater of war” with will and thought. Looking at their extremely calm and seemingly uninterested behavior, one might think that they are discussing some kind of philosophical problem, and not leading a battle. Their role is similar to the divine - to be the root cause and motionless mover of events. Their place is in the foreground, on the “Olympus” of history as close as possible to the viewer, towering equally above both those looking at the picture and the battle itself. Military operations are pushed into an immeasurable distance, which by its very remoteness turns the distant plan into a kind of topographic map seen from a bird's eye view. The whole structure of the picture convinces that each class in the historical action is good in its place, within the framework of the function assigned to it, and between them lies an insurmountable border, which in the picture is physically emphasized by the complete absence of a middle transitional plan (between the first plans and the distances there is a gap) .

The traditional nature of the historical concept of Leonardo’s painting “The Taking of Julier” is even more significant due to the fact that it depicts the same character - the Spanish commander Ambrosio de Spinola, Marquis de los Balbases - as in Velazquez’s painting “The Surrender of Breda”. Moreover, in both paintings he is depicted in a similar situation of accepting the keys to a city forced to surrender. Surrender in Leonardo's painting occurs in accordance with knightly etiquette, so revered in conservative Spanish society - the defeated enemy is not trampled or insulted, but is allowed to feel his true place. The distance between the winner sitting on a horse and the loser kneeling is enormous. The vanquished are doomed to look up to the victors. They are creatures from different worlds - above and below. Their hands will never meet. And the vanquished will never be able to climb to the heights of that Olympus on which the Spanish troops are piled in their greatness. However, on Leonardo’s Olympus there is also no place for the entire Spanish army, it is only indicated by a forest of spears and banners and is quite deliberately, in the spirit of the class concept, obscured by the figures of military leaders.

In Velazquez’s painting “The Surrender of Breda,” which is considered to be an example of the artistic concept of modern historicism, at first glance the same components are present: the figures of the commanders are in the center and in the foreground, the behavior of Spinola is a model of behavior, according to the knightly code of honor, in place and spears are the main symbol of the famous civil guard, of which everyone in Spain was proud, from the king to the last beggar. The picture did not raise any objections public opinion that time. On the contrary, judging by the rumored second title of the painting “Spears,” Velazquez’s contemporaries perceived it as the apotheosis of Spanish weapons - a closed formation of an invincible phalanx that endured the Spanish empire.

The corporate-class portrait of the Spanish nobility in the painting was also perceived in the same spirit. We again encounter Velázquez’s amazing ability to act within the framework of the archetypal semantic field of Spanish culture, placing emphasis in new ways, as a result of which a completely new model of historical thinking is built from familiar components, radically different from the traditional class one.

Let's take the same collective portrait of the Spanish Guard. Its prototype is a number of paintings by El Greco, including the famous “Espolio” (“Tearing off the Clothes”), which presents a generalized portrait of the Spanish aristocracy, bound by the mystical unity of high spirituality and belonging to Catholicism. Velázquez uses the plastic formula invented by El Greco, in which the presented corporate set has portrait-interpreted individualized faces and, as it were, a single mystical body (people block each other, and those standing behind are depicted as standing above), however, in his interpretation, the peculiar “unity of the body” is not emphasized the mystical connection of the chosen class, but the very real unity and cohesion of the Spanish army. In a completely natural way, it emerged through a smooth transition from the middle ground to the foreground and filled the historical scene with itself, on an equal footing with the nobility and military leaders. Spinola also took a step towards his army, retreating from the front line of the historical ramp, and thereby gained physical, moral and spiritual unity with his soldiers.

Velazquez gently and unobtrusively blurred the class barriers of the medieval mechanisms of historical existence and instead of the apotheosis of the Spanish military leader, he proposed another, no less attractive formula for exalting the unity and glory of the Spanish army, which carries the sky on the tips of its spears, and with their measured rhythm organizes the chaos of war. This formula was addressed to the ruling elite, which needed to modernize the national myth.

But this does not exhaust the content of Velázquez’s historical concept, since the collective portrait of the Spanish army in the picture corresponds to an equally valuable collective portrait of the enemy army, and this is not so much a different army as a different national and social mentality. Comparison within a single pictorial space of two concrete historical communities: absolutist Spain and the republican Netherlands, feudal-class mentality and the mentality of the third estate, the mysticism of Catholicism and the pragmatism of Protestantism, the discipline of hierarchy and the freedom of individualism - leads to the emergence of truly historical thinking. The latter is characterized by the unity of the space-time continuum - on the basis of filling spatial (family, clan, ethno-political community of tribe and state, the Universe ultimately) and temporal (past, present, future) human connections with specific historical content.

At the same time, Velazquez, obeying his amazing intuition, creates a purely plastic and pictorial equivalent of the historical specificity of the two communities. And the point here is not only that, based on an in-depth analysis of the historical and pictorial sources available to him, Velázquez conveyed in the very poses of the depicted figures the essence of the spiritual opposition between the corporate-class organization of Spanish society and the individualistic-autonomous existence of Dutch society, but that he is at the level subconsciously perceived categories (active - passive, movement - lack of movement, volume - flatness, warm - cold colors) are prescribed by a certain latently felt vector historical development events in favor of the Netherlands.

Contrary to the plot telling about the defeat of the Dutch, both the historical future and historical activity remain with them. It is the defeated Justin de Nassau who is depicted in action - he advances heavily and slowly, while Spinola stands. The figures of the Dutch are voluminous and materially tactile, they actively advance thanks to the light and warm color scheme (accents of yellow-gold, white and green) and literally move into the real space of the viewer (the figure in yellow on the edge of the picture). In addition, they are psychologically active, which is expressed both in the individualization of each person’s reaction to events, and in a direct appeal to the viewer (the look of a man with a musket in green). At the same time, the ranks of the Spanish army are deployed in depth, and seem to retreat from the picture plane, gradually flattening and merging with the planar graphics of the pattern of spears and the blue of the sky. This impression is also facilitated by the visual “retreat” of dark and sophisticated cold tones of blue and pearl pink. Before our eyes, real people turn into the past of the fresco, the myth of fragile copies recedes before the reality of a tightly tailored halberd and a completely ineffective-looking musket, victory turns into defeat.

Velazquez managed, by focusing on the naturalness of the moment of the present, perceived with almost photographic fleetingness (light touch, half-tilt), to convey the fluid variability and multidimensionality of the historical time flow itself: for some it is inevitably directed into the past, for others - into the future.

From a point of view specific to the 17th century. historical concept of time as the variability of fate, we can say that Velazquez offers a certain new formula for the equality of the warring parties in the face of Fortune. This is also supported by a complex system of iconographic formulas, perceived at the subconscious level of associations. The system of figures of Spinola and Nassau established by Velazquez, on an abstract level, resembles scales swinging to one side - a familiar attribute of the goddess of fate. Moreover, this position of the system is fleeting, since in a moment Nassau will straighten up and become equal in height to its opponent and thereby restore balance. Let us remember that the surrender of Breda is only one episode of the war, and not the entire campaign as a whole.

Moreover, the silhouette of the scales is enclosed in a circular dynamic composition (see the mirror position of the horses’ poses, the circle of parted participants in the event), which is associated with the ever-rotating wheel of Fortune. At any moment, the winners and losers can change places. Everything revolves around the key hovering in the center, as if it contains some kind of mystery, as if the further course of events will depend on what and how they do with it. The key turns into a kind of tuning fork of time.

When measuring the situational choice of the present moment with a temporary historical perspective, it is important not to make a mistake. Guarantee the right choice maybe only the ability to listen to time. It is not for nothing that the motive of listening is so important in Velazquez’s painting - the page of Nassau, the young man in white behind the commander, the solemnly frozen Spanish and hushed Dutch armies, the heavens themselves, stopped in their movement, call for this directly, with an expressive gesture.

Historical temporal consciousness has revealed a rather simple truth to man: “even if the world of time is boring, but it is important, even if it is limited and emotionally poor, but it is stable, it is a world of established rhythms, which is preferable to the zigzags of “actors” living only by imagination or according to their own calendar "... life constantly puts a person before a choice, and inexorable time leaves him only one single alternative - activity, foresight and prudence in handling time" ( M.A.Barg).

In conditions of military operations, when success is variable, foresight and prudence dictate humane treatment of the enemy as a kind of advance in the hope that the enemy will adhere to the same civilized rules of warfare. According to A.K. Yakimovich, “in Velazquez’s painting we see not the behavior of an exemplary knight, but a formula for the relations of people of the New Age. They calculate their behavior in the theater of military operations in the same way as they calculated their actions (expenses, intrigues, demarches, etc.) in the field of economics and politics... Velazquez’s painting formally depicts the triumph of Spanish arms in Holland.”

By creating a picturesque formula for the relations of military law of the New Age, Velazquez did not at all oppose himself and his concept to “his time,” measured by the national Spanish chronotrope. He places his self-portrait (a young man in a hat near the left side of the picture) in the community of the Spanish army. He (and along with us) admires and is proud of the high tragic ethos of the fading national myth of the unbending knightly army. Moreover, Velazquez overshadows the entire scene and his native army with the sacred authority of the Bible. The fact is that as an iconographic source for the composition “Surrender of Breda,” Velazquez used the woodcut “Abraham and Melchizedek” by B. Salomon, which was well known to his contemporaries.

First published in 1553 in Lyon, it was widely replicated in many editions of the Bible. The biblical story tells of the solemn meeting of the victorious army of Abraham by Melchizedek, the high priest of Jerusalem. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and presented him with bread and wine. According to Christian tradition, this scene was seen as a prototype of the Last Supper and the Eucharist; accordingly, Melchizedek acted as the forerunner of Christ.

In the painting by Velazquez, Spinola stands in the position of Abraham, behind whom rise the spears of the victorious army. Abraham's victory is unconditional, but he himself belongs to the past of the Old Testament. The future belongs to the Gospel and Melchizedek as the herald of Christ and, accordingly, to Nassau, which is placed in the position of Melchizedek.

In this system, the Spanish community is assigned the role of the forefather, the foundation of the foundations, the root of the roots of European civilization, blessing the future.

Description of the painting by D. Velazquez “Surrender of Breda”

Diego Velazquez is an ever-living source of truth and beauty, whose greatest legacy opens an entire era in realistic painting, a work that will forever remain in our hearts and minds. His works carry the ideas of humanism, loyalty to the democratic tradition of Spanish culture, love for ordinary people. More directly and boldly than his predecessors, he turned to reality, expanding the themes of painting, promoting the development of various genres in it.

I am especially interested in the historical battle painting, “The Surrender of Breda,” which he wrote around 1634-1635. The painting depicts a contemporary and important historical theme for him - dramatic episode war between monarchical Spain and republican-bourgeois Holland, when the Spanish army conquered the border fortress of Breda. It is indicative that the painter did not convey this scene with the accepted solemnity, the majesty of the victorious side: having abandoned the ceremonial allegorical interpretation of the battle scene, common in painting, the master turns to the idea of humanity, humaneness; Velazquez laid the foundation for realism in historical painting.

Admiring this work, I wanted to understand the artist’s intentions, to feel the difficult era in which he lived and worked as a master. Find the answer to an unusual, innovative, truly bold solution to the canvas. To answer these questions, let us turn to the historical era, in which this “epoch-making and at the same time so humane” canvas was created.

Considering the art of Velázquez in the context of his era, I saw how organically and naturally his talent developed, connected with the traditions of the Italian Rinascimento and with the trends of modern times. Life in Madrid, which gave Velazquez the opportunity to carefully study the most valuable royal collections - paintings by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Veronese and others, closeness with the Spanish cultural elite, meetings with Rubens, who visited Spain in 1628, and his first trip to Italy (1629-1631) contributed to expanding his artistic horizons and improving his skills. But Diego lives in a different time; his contemporaries face other questions and ways to solve them. The focus of artists is still on people. Its embodiment becomes more specific, emotional and psychologically complex. It reveals endless diversity and richness of the inner world, national features appear brighter and more defined. This new person is aware of his dependence on the social environment, and in Spain the individual even turned out to be more connected with the society around him, which was still patriarchally monolithic and did not know extreme forms of individualism, often manifested in the Renaissance in Italy. We should not forget the fact that the specificity of Spanish art was influenced by the following factors: just a century ago before the artist’s lifetime, the Reconquista ended (the national liberation struggle of the Spanish people against the Moorish conquerors), which formed the basis folk culture. The country experienced a heyday after the discovery of the New World and a time of weakening economic and political life and the establishment of a reactionary form of absolutism. And the artists, therefore, pretended to have their poetic imagination in the images they saw in real life. Working within a strict dogmatic framework, the painters were able to convey such traits of national character as self-esteem, pride, and a sense of honor associated with personal merit. Man is shown mostly in a noble, strict and majestic aspect. Along with mythological genre Historical and everyday genres, portraits, landscapes and still lifes are gaining an independent place. A new range of social themes and subjects is appearing. Drawing and engraving are developing successfully. Masters are attracted to the topic tragic fate person, dramatic conflicts. All these processes contribute to the formation of two lines in the art of Spain by the 17th century: courtly-aristocratic, exquisitely refined, painfully fragile art for the “initiates” (Mannerism with Baroque) and the national realistic school (the formation of traditions of the leftist line).

In his painting “The Surrender of Breda,” Velazquez refuses false dramatization of events, exaggeration, and spectacular presentation, cutting off everything unimportant and unnecessary in order to penetrate into the depth of human experiences. In Velazquez we will not find the ancient gods explaining the place of events or emphasizing the significance of what is happening, nor the geniuses of victory decorating the military leader with a wreath; there are no allegorical figures symbolizing the victors and the vanquished. The artist “raises the Event itself to the rank of event,” the painter, as it were, removes the patina of excessive solemnity and thereby revealed its deep human meaning, he creates the first “truly historical picture in the painting of Europe.” The departure from the courtly, pathetic exaggerations of the work, from the rules of the Baroque, was truly a creative feat that deserves the highest recognition. Truly, the master anticipated the painters of future centuries, organically merging the traditions of his national Spanish art with realistic trends. To this should be added the highest skill of the painter who was able to accurately convey the historical event truthfully.

All this convincingly speaks of Diego Velazquez as one of the creators (along with Caravaggio) of not yet a new style, but already a movement, and, looking at his canvas, we can say with confidence that it is one of best works outside the left line, although the artist in this work turns to the classical tradition and even to the Baroque.

As is known, before Velazquez, for a long time there was an idea of depicting battle scenes as works of epic-allegorical interpretation. There were strict rules and a whole system of symbols and allegories that the artist had to strictly observe. So, for example, the faces of the winners were supposed to be arrogant and triumphant, while the faces and gestures of the vanquished were humiliated and servile. The painters sought to glorify their rulers as magnificently and fantastically as possible, bringing them closer to the inhabitants of heaven. Velazquez decided to subordinate his canvas to the main idea: to express respect for the vanquished and, above all, to see a person in the vanquished - and this is the main humanistic idea of this work. Thus, a monument was created not to military art and tactics, but, to a large extent, to the nobility of character of the victorious commander. The artist pays tribute to the enemy army, a small nation of Dutch who are fighting for their freedom, having the courage to oppose a world power.

This is the innovative courage of the author’s work and this confirms that it was written in a critical, transitional period between the ideas about the ideals that appeared in the Renaissance and the harsh realities of the New Age.

The painting itself was created by the painter around 1634-1635. It was supposed to perpetuate the memory of the capitulation, which was considered an impregnable fortress (Breda), and symbolize the glory and invincibility of the Spanish royal house, referring to the events of ten years ago from the history of the Spanish-Dutch War. At that time, military fortune was favorable to the Spanish oppressors. The surrender of what was considered an impregnable fortress, after a siege of many months, in 1625 was widely hailed as the greatest strategic achievement of the time. The work is done on canvas with oil. The dimensions of the canvas are simply amazing (307 x 367 cm). This testifies to the high skill of the artist, since you need to have an accurate eye, competent drawing skills and be guided by the laws of composition, “in order to boldly and confidently, whole and beautifully” organize the space of the picture. Today it is on public display in the Prado Museum (Madrid).

The artist depicted the moment of the transfer of the keys to the city by Governor Justino of Nassau to the Spanish commander Marquis Ambrosio Spinola. It should also be noted that the presentation of the city keys to the soldiers of the enemy army means one thing: the city surrendered. This custom was born in those distant times, when almost all European cities were large or not very large fortresses, which were actually locked with keys at night.

As for “The Surrender of Breda,” the originality of the artist’s method reached a new peak in it: he strives to reveal in the integral unity of the soldiers the essential character traits, spiritual and mental make-up of each person in their complexity and contradictions. The master gives correct, psychological characteristics of the main characters. The painting includes several portraits: a portrait of the winner Spinola himself, perhaps a portrait of the artist himself, who was not present at the surrender of Breda: he places his self-portrait (a young man in a hat at the right edge of the picture) in the community of the Spanish army, and, of course, is depicted the second representative from the warring parties is Justino. Using the simplest means and techniques, the artist recreates life in all its truth, simplicity and at the same time charm - a mystery that still amazes us today. The portraits he painted of soldiers of both armies are distinguished by the fidelity of the depicted physiognomies, the conveyance of individual type, expression of national pride and a sense of dignity. Nature is reflected in them as in a mirror; there is not even a shadow of any convention in them. Thus, behind Spinola’s external secular restraint one can feel both the proud consciousness of victory and the nobility of his nature: he courteously greets the vanquished, paying tribute to the courage and unbroken spirit of the Dutch. Walking heavily, with his head bare, he goes to meet the winner of Nassau, it seems he is ready to kneel, handing over the keys, and Spinola dismounted, took off his hat and, stretching out his hand, did not allow the Dutchman to kneel. With the elegance of a true knight, he places his right hand on the Dutchman's shoulder, holding his hat and marshal's baton in his left. The Spaniard greets the commandant in a friendly manner. The Spaniard does not seem to notice that von Nassau is handing over the keys to him. It is clear that Spinola is concerned in every possible way that his opponents do not feel in the slightest degree the humiliation of the situation; he treats von Nassau not as a defeated enemy, but, on the contrary, as a person who, in his unenviable position, cannot be denied sympathy. The Dutchman's movement forms a clear diagonal, thereby expressing his subordinate position, and the winner's movements are full of courtesy and respect for the defeated, the Spaniard's face expresses ordinary human feelings - feelings of empathy and respect. Their poses and gestures are justified and natural. The Dutchman is excited and deeply worried about the event, he appears somewhat defenseless in the image, this feeling is conveyed by a certain hunched position in front of the Spaniard and a detail: the hat is removed, but Spinola also stands with his head uncovered as a sign of respect. In what other historical painting of the 17th century, depicting a military episode, can one hear so many more human sounds that touch the soul! It clearly sounds a peaceful note of human respect for the valor of the enemy. Looking at the features of two people, it becomes clear that it is the humanistic idea that distinguishes “The Surrender of Breda” from previous works on historical topics. This is new, something that did not exist before Velazquez, this is his feature by which you recognize his work, his creativity.

It is impossible not to say that the transfer of the keys to the Dutch fortress of Breda to the Spaniards is a semantic and central geometric node of the composition. The “key of the picture” - it is also the key in the material sense - is highlighted with a dark silhouette in a light polygon between the main figures playing the role of the scenes (an artistic device of classicism) - that’s all art space and the integrity of the canvas are tied to this transfer ceremony. Everything revolves around the key hovering in the center, as if it contains some kind of mystery, as if the further course of events will depend on what and how they do with it. The key turns into a kind of tuning fork of time. And this is also a sign of the New Age. The main meaning of what is happening is concentrated in this center, and the viewer pays attention primarily to it. And the attention of almost all the characters is drawn to what is happening in the center, which is emphasized by the aspect of lighting and aerial perspective. The “key” of the composition and movement of the figures connects the left and right parts of the picture (warring armies) and at the same time creates the depth of space. The breadth of the concept is emphasized by the landscape, in which the reflections of flames and smoke of a fire merge with the silvery fog of a summer morning. And, looking at the landscape panorama unfolding behind people’s backs, you notice how the artist sketchily, without a thick overlay of paints, reproduces complex and subtle effects, enhancing the spatiality of the image. The entire background is pushed into an immeasurable distance: only here and there are traces of a recent battle visible, the bastions of Breda shrouded in a light silvery fog, but Velazquez accurately conveys the signs of the area - he is an innovative painter, one can feel how he wants to truthfully convey not only the event, but also the location of the action .

Before moving on to the description of both camps: Spanish and Dutch, we note the complete absence of a middle transitional plan (there is a gap between the first plans and the distances) and the characters are close to the front plane of the picture, which indicates the artist’s familiarity with the techniques of classicism (bas-relief),

On the right side of the picture, the Spaniards are huddled tightly, monolithically, with spears victoriously directed upward, creating an image of a powerful force, designed to demonstrate the power of the Spanish state. The guns form a single wall, cutting off the front plane of the canvas from the back (it is no coincidence that the painting also bears the second name “Spears”). sees in the organization and discipline of the professional Spanish army Proud Spanish grandees in armor: warriors in similar clothes, almost in uniform. The Spaniards have similar hairstyles, mustaches, and sophisticated facial expressions. They form an organized formation, standing closely together as a single cohesive mass. And Diego skillfully weakens this tense spot with the horse’s croup, thereby preserving the harmonious structure of the picture. The Spanish soldiers stand so densely that the people block each other, and those behind are depicted as standing above.

The group of Dutchmen on the left side of the picture is placed more freely and at ease, their disorganization and spontaneity conveyed by the variety of clothes and poses. Each defender of the city is individual: despite the significance of the moment (handing over the keys), the Dutch do not observe military formation: one stands with his back to the viewer, the other sideways, a young man in white talks to a comrade in arms, putting a hat on his musket. And other Dutch people hold weapons arbitrarily. The interpretation of the theme was also innovative: the defeated Dutch, concentrated on the left side of the picture, are presented with the same sense of dignity as the victors - the Spaniards, grouped in a denser mass on the right side of the composition, against the backdrop of rows of mines. The faces of the garrison militia do not bear the stamp of fear and admiration - on the contrary, they are filled with some kind of internal ebullient activity, people are keenly interested in what is happening. And although their spears and banners bowed before the enemy, the expression of independence of spirit dominates in free poses and open faces. No, the Dutch are not defeated; having been defeated, they do not lose heart. This is noticeable in their poses and the nature of their movements. A new fight is ahead! And again one feels the ephemerality of the Spaniards’ victory - the future belongs to people of a new formation, professing new values and ideals. The painter makes the viewer think about the collision of old and new, while the internal flow in the picture is not immediately noticeable, and it seems that the painter does not take the position of either side. And only a true master can do this.

Velasquez strives for the most truthful portrayal of characters, the master carefully peers into the faces of his opponents, and one can feel his genuine interest in each person. All “illuminated” faces are unique and at the same time similar to each other. The artist creates the most magnificent portraits of military leaders and ordinary soldiers, and you understand that personalities grow before us, with their thoughts, dreams and hopes for the best, but Diego Velazquez does not imitate the Baroque masters, does not strive to throw out a sea of feelings on canvas - the artist conveys only natural, realistic movements of the souls and bodies of people located on opposite sides of the main action. And again the motive of equality, the denial of the superiority of some over others, appears in the picture. In addition to the striking portrait resemblance, there is a noticeable commonality that forms a kind of “unity of body” of the Spanish army. In a completely natural way, it emerged through a smooth transition from the middle ground to the foreground and filled the historical scene. Spinola also took a step towards his army, retreating from the front line of the historical ramp, and thereby gained physical, moral and spiritual unity with his soldiers. Velazquez masterfully used the technique of antithesis at the level of the following categories: movement-rest, volume-flatness, warm-cold colors, giving preference in some way to the Netherlands, which reveals in the artist the gift of a seer who saw the future power of Holland. It is the defeated Justin de Nassau who is depicted in action - he advances heavily and slowly, while Spinola stands. The figures of the Dutch are voluminous and materially tactile, they actively advance thanks to the light and warm color scheme (accents of yellow-gold, white and green) and literally move into the real space of the viewer (the figure in yellow on the edge of the picture). In addition, they are psychologically active, which is expressed both in the individualization of each person’s reaction to events, and in a direct appeal to the viewer (the look of a man with a musket in green). At the same time, the ranks of the Spanish army are deployed in depth, and seem to retreat from the picture plane, gradually flattening and merging with the planar graphics of the pattern of spears and the blue of the sky. This impression is also facilitated by the visual “retreat” of dark and sophisticated cold tones of blue and pearl pink. Before our eyes, real people turn into the past of the fresco, the myth of the copies recedes before the reality of a tightly tailored halberd and a musket that is completely ineffective in appearance, victory turns into defeat.

And in compositional terms, this work is a striking example of the art of the New Age and can be safely attributed to the non-steel line.

The color scheme of the painting.

Let us note the peculiar “game” of tone spots: the gaze goes from Spinola’s dark armor to the horse’s tail and further to the Dutch army’s own shadow.

Thanks to the rhythm of the lines, a smooth, lively movement is created, causing the feeling that the artist managed to capture a short moment, an episode from ordinary life.

It can be said without exaggeration that the work of Diego Velazquez is a truthful representation of reality, which he masterfully embodied in “The Surrender of Breda.”

Bibliography

1.Alpatov M.V. "Hinted Legacy". M.: Education, 1990.

."Renaissance. Baroque. Classicism. Problems of styles in Western European art” Editor Willer. M.: Nauka, 1966

3."History of Foreign Art". Thought edited by M.T. Kuzmina, N.L. Maltseva, M.: 1980.

.Jose Ortega y Gasset "Introduction to Velazquez" Trans. from Spanish Lysenko E.S. Petrov M.:, 1991.

Diego Velazquez - Surrender of Breda.

Year of creation: 1634

La rendición de Breda o Las lanzas

Canvas, oil.

Original size: 307 × 367 cm

Prado Museum, Madrid

“The Surrender of Breda” (Spanish: La rendición de Breda or “The Spears”, Las lanzas) is a painting by Diego Velazquez, painted in 1634-1635. Depicts the scene of the transfer of the keys of the Dutch city of Breda by its governor Justin of Nassau to the commander-in-chief of the Spanish troops, Ambrosio Spinola, on June 5, 1625. The second name of the canvas is “Spears” due to the fact that almost a third of the canvas is occupied by the image of spears of the Spanish army, which form an important part of the composition. The painting is in the Prado.

Description of the painting by Diego Velazquez “Surrender of Breda”

The plot of the world-famous painting “The Surrender of Breda” the most talented artist Seventeenth-century Spain by Diego Velazquez was written based on real historical events that occurred during the artist’s life. It was there, at the Breda fortress in the province of North Brabant near the Netherlands, that a sensational compromise was signed on the renunciation of religious persecution of King Philip II, who at that time was accused of blasphemy.

The same fortress was the center of the European wars for power in this region during the long Thirty Years' War of 1618-48. The fortress passed into different hands many times during this time until the end of the many years of bloody war and the ascension to the throne of King Philip the Fourth. The canvas depicts an important historical moment for the country - the receipt by the Spanish commander-in-chief, under whose leadership most of the stunning conquests of Spain were made at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War - Ambrosio Spinola - receiving the keys to the famous fortress of Breda.

Then, at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, Spain, which fought against the Republics of the United Provinces, had great success, thanks to which most of the Dutch lands went to Spain. In addition, in those same years, Spain successfully resisted other European countries, which included England and Portugal. True, a little later the country was significantly weakened by long wars, and Spain had to give up some of the conquests made in those years, including in the Netherlands.

The canvas was completed by the master in 1635 - in the midst of brutal bloody battles, and was intended for display in the Great Hall of the new castle, which belonged to King Philip the Fourth, who stood at the throne at that time - Buen Retiro.

The famous painting by the legendary 17th century Spanish artist Diego Velazquez, entitled “The Surrender of Breda,” was painted by him in 1635 based on real historical events that took place in Europe during his life. The painting itself was intended for the so-called Great Hall of the new palace of King Philip IV Buen Retiro, who ruled Spain at that time.

About the picture:

The plot of the film was entirely based on historical events, and the actions unfolding in it were related to the then situation around the Breda fortress, located in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It was in this city that the famous compromise was signed regarding the protest against the religious persecution of King Philip II, who was accused, in fact, of blasphemy.

It was the Breda fortress that was the center of the struggle of the armies of many European countries for dominance in the region during the so-called Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648. During all this time, until King Philip IV ascended the throne of Spain, Breda changed hands several times during hostilities.

It was in the first years of the Thirty Years' War that the Spanish troops, fighting against the army of the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, managed to achieve quite serious successes, as a result of which a very large number of Dutch territories went to Spain. In addition, after this, Spain successfully resisted its other opponents, including the British and Portuguese.

The painting depicts the important moment of handing over the keys to the Breda fortress to the Spanish commander-in-chief Ambrosio Spinola, who was precisely able to achieve such stunning successes for his country. Although, after a short period of time, Spain found itself weakened economically by the war, and it had to give up a number of its conquests, including in the Netherlands.

Colors of the painting:

The painting has a rich and intense color scheme, but completely in the spirit of the artist, without the use of flashy, too bright colors. This spectacular canvas still impresses with the skill of painting and the beauty of the image.

The painting has another name - “Spears”. Before Velazquez, many depicted such weapons, but only his palisade of long spears can be considered a real personification of war.