The Theme of The Hunt
King Phillip IV commissioned Velázquez to paint a series of portraits on the theme of the hunt, all of which ere destined to adorn the pavilion that was built in the mountain of Pardo, close to Madrid, called “La Torre de la Parada”. This pavilion was later converted into an art museum of a long series of Ovid’s Metamorphosis, painted by Rubens. This pavilion was reserved exclusively for the Court, and no-one else had access to it. It became one of the most important collections on the subject of mythology and a variety of nudes
Velázquez painted two other works for this location on the theme of the hunt: El cardenal infante don Fernando de Austria cazador and Felipe IV cazador. The three works have something in common: a long format, the figure presented in three quartes, hunting weapon in hand and hunting clothes on the protagonists. It is known the painter created many more works on this subject but none of them are in Spain.
Read more about this topic: Prince Balthasar Charles As A Hunter
Famous quotes containing the words theme and/or hunt:
“It seems to me that upbringings have themes. The parents set the theme, either explicitly or implicitly, and the children pick it up, sometimes accurately and sometimes not so accurately.... The theme may be “Our family has a distinguished heritage that you must live up to” or “No matter what happens, we are fortunate to be together in this lovely corner of the earth” or “We have worked hard so that you can have the opportunities we didn’t have.””
—Calvin Trillin (20th century)
“Without infringing on the liberty we so much boast, might we not ask our professional Mayor to call upon the smokers, have them register their names in each ward, and then appoint certain thoroughfares in the city for their use, that those who feel no need of this envelopment of curling vapor, to insure protection may be relieved from a nuisance as disgusting to the olfactories as it is prejudicial to the lungs.”
—Harriot K. Hunt (1805–1875)