Artwork

The Seconda Macchina for the Chinea of 1745: Triumphal Arch for the Return of King Charles of Bourbon to Naples

The Seconda Macchina for the Chinea of 1745: Triumphal Arch for the Return of King Charles of Bourbon to Naples is an ink print by the Baroque artist Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain. It dates from 1745 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:Lettered LL: "I. Louis Le Lorrein inv. dis. e incise" Lettered LC: "Prospettiva della seconda Macchina rappresentante il Ritorno del Re delle due Sicilie all Sua fedelissima Citta' di Napoli [...] l'Anno 1745"

About this work

Overview

Louis‑Joseph Le Lorrain’s 1745 etching, titled The Seconda Macchina for the Chinea of 1745: Triumphal Arch for the Return of King Charles of Bourbon to Naples, presents a staged celebration of the monarch’s homecoming. Rendered in fine, linear detail, the print imagines a monumental stone arch that frames a procession of soldiers, riders and flag‑bearers moving in orderly ranks.

Subject & Meaning

The composition functions as a visual program for a royal pageant, the so‑called Chinea, a ceremonial tribute to the Spanish king. The central arch, topped by a statuary figure, serves as a symbolic gateway, while the surrounding crowd conveys the civic pride and loyalty of Neapolitan subjects toward Charles of Bourbon.

Technique & Style

Executed as an etching, the work relies on delicate incised lines that produce a crisp, architectural quality. Le Lorrain’s handling of line creates depth in the stone columns and clarity in the miniature figures, allowing the viewer to discern individual riders, flags and the intricate ornamentation of the imagined structure.

History & Provenance

Created in the mid‑eighteenth century, the print was intended as a design for the “second machine” – a temporary architectural element used during the Chinea festivities in Naples. It reflects the court’s practice of commissioning printed visualizations to coordinate large‑scale public celebrations, and it remains a primary documentary source for the event’s staging.