Artwork
Prisión del condestable de Montmorency, en la Batalla de San Quintín
Prisión del condestable de Montmorency, en la Batalla de San Quintín is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Luca Giordano. It dates from 1696 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The canvas portrays the captured constable of Montmorency following his defeat at the Battle of Saint-Quentin, a moment symbolizing both military humiliation and the shifting balance of power in the late 17th century. The composition emphasizes the armor and helmet of Anne de Montmorency alongside the presence of Emanuele Filiberto I, Duke of Savoy, linking the scene to broader diplomatic and martial narratives of the era. Executed in oil on canvas in 1692, the work functions as a history painting that merges documentary realism with symbolic representation of triumph and subjugation.
Technique & Style
The composition balances dynamic movement with a tight spatial arrangement, focusing attention on the central prisoners and the looming threat of their captors.
The work is an oil on canvas painting executed in 1692, depicting the constable of Montmorency imprisoned after the Battle of Saint-Quentin. Giordano renders the scene with vigorous brushwork that emphasizes the tension of confinement and martial drama, using a limited palette to heighten the chiaroscuro effect on the figures’ armor and expressions. The composition balances dynamic movement with a tight spatial arrangement, focusing attention on the central prisoners and the looming threat of their captors.
The canvas measures 51 cm in height by 167 cm in width, and it resides in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is displayed as a notable example of late Baroque history painting.
History & Provenance
Luca Giordano executed the oil painting Prisión del condestable de Montmorency, en la Batalla de San Quintín in 1692. The work, which depicts the capture of Anne de Montmorency by Emanuele Filiberto I, Duke of Savoy, during the Battle of Saint-Quentin, was created on canvas. Historical records indicate that the painting was once owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain.
It currently forms part of the collection at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it is classified as a battle scene.
The painting is held by the Museo del Prado, where it forms part of the museum's collection. Its provenance traces back to Ferdinand VII of Spain, who owned the work before it entered the public collection. The canvas measures 51 cm in height by 167 cm in width. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
The work entered the Museo del Prado's holdings as part of the Spanish royal collection, having been owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain prior to its transfer to the museum.
Overview
Luca Giordano’s oil on canvas, painted in 1696, portrays a turbulent episode from the Battle of San Quintín. The composition centers on a mounted figure in armor, sword raised, surrounded by a mass of cavalry and infantry amid the clash.
Context
The Battle of San Quintín was a decisive French victory in the Italian Wars, and Giordano’s depiction aligns with the period’s penchant for grand historical narratives that glorify military exploits.
Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Giordano was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Giordano was one of the most celebrated artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, whose vast output included altarpieces, mythological paintings and…
Prisión del condestable de Montmorency, en la Batalla de San Quintín
Legendary Battle of the Torriani and Visconti - the Capture
The taking of a stronghold
Henry IV at the Battle of Ivry, 14 March 1590
Gefecht zwischen österreichischen und schwedischen Truppen
Luptă în defileu
Battle
Battle Scene
Cavalry Combat
Atac într-un defileu