Artwork
Felipe II presidiendo un Auto de Fe
Felipe II presidiendo un Auto de Fe is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Philip II of Spain presiding over an auto-da-fé, the public ceremony of penance carried out by the Spanish Inquisition.
The painting depicts Philip II of Spain presiding over an auto-da-fé, the public ceremony of penance carried out by the Spanish Inquisition. According to the Wikidata record, the work portrays Philip II alongside Carlos, Prince of Asturias, placing the heir apparent at his father's side during the rite. By showing the monarch in the act of personally overseeing the sentencing of heretics, the composition frames the king as the supreme secular authority enforcing religious orthodoxy, a central duty of the Spanish Crown in the sixteenth century.
The presence of the prince underscores the dynastic transmission of this role, presenting the auto-da-fé as both an act of faith and an instrument of monarchical power.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1871 by Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos. Its dimensions are 193 cm in height and 222 cm in width. The handling is consistent with academic history painting of the period, employing smooth, blended brushwork and precise modeling of figures to articulate the ceremonial scene.
The composition is organized along a shallow stage-like space, with the central figure of Philip II positioned in a raised loggia and flanked by courtiers and ecclesiastics, creating a symmetrical arrangement that directs attention to the ritual below. The palette is restrained, favoring earth tones and subdued blacks, with accents of red and gold to signal the gravity of the auto de fe.
History & Provenance
The oil painting titled Felipe II presidiendo un Auto de Fe was created by Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos in 1871. Executed on canvas, the work measures 193 cm in height and 222 cm in width. It depicts Philip II of Spain and Carlos, Prince of Asturias. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
The painting Felipe II presidiendo un Auto de Fe by Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. The work is also associated with the University of Barcelona, which is listed as a location in its cataloging data. Created in 1871, the oil on canvas measures 193 cm in height and 222 cm in width.
Specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the available records, nor is a detailed exhibition history documented.
Overview
Felipe II presidiendo un Auto de Fe is a painting completed in 1871 by Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos, a Spanish artist known for his work in Academic style. The oil on canvas work is part of the Museo del Prado's collection.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos
Domingo Valdivieso y Henarejos (30 August 1830 – 22 November 1872) was a Spanish painter and engraver in the Academic style.
El dux Frari Foscari destituido
Carlos V recibe en Yuste la visita de San Francisco de Borja
Cisneros y los Grandes
La prisión de Lanuza
Charles V at Yuste
Últimos momentos de Felipe II
Decisión del pleito entre religiosos y caballeros
The Funerals of Inca Atahualpa
Philip II of Spain Honours Don John of Austria
The Union of Utrecht
La poetisa- Doña María Pacheco de Padilla después de Villalar