Artwork
Wealth and Benefits of the Spanish Monarchy under Charles III
Wealth and Benefits of the Spanish Monarchy under Charles III is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1762, this oil on canvas presents an allegorical celebration of the Spanish monarchy under Charles III.
About this work
Technique & Style
As an allegorical genre piece, it utilizes the fluid handling of oil to convey the opulence and benefits attributed to the Spanish monarchy under Charles III.
Created in 1762, Wealth and Benefits of the Spanish Monarchy under Charles III is executed in oil paint on canvas, a medium characteristic of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's mature output. The work measures 181.8 cm in height and 104.3 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting belongs to the Rococo movement, reflecting the era's preference for allegorical grandeur and dynamic composition.
As an allegorical genre piece, it utilizes the fluid handling of oil to convey the opulence and benefits attributed to the Spanish monarchy under Charles III.
History & Provenance
Executed in 1762 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the painting's early history relies on oral tradition recorded by Francis Capel-Cure. The work likely passed from the artist to a niece who married a painter named Pagliano, before being acquired in Venice by Edward Cheney after 1860 for his estate at Badger Hall, Shropshire. Although unconfirmed by documentation, this trajectory aligns with the stipulations of Giandomenico Tiepolo's 1795 will regarding family artworks.
Following Cheney's death, the piece descended to his brother-in-law, Colonel Alfred Capel-Cure, and subsequently to Francis Capel-Cure. The canvas later entered the collection of Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi in Florence. On June 26, 1935, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the work, eventually gifting it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1943.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection. Its accession number is 1943.1.3.
Its exhibition history includes display at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., following its gift in 1943. Prior to that, it was held privately in Britain, including at Badger Hall, Shropshire, and was acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1935.
Overview
Created in 1762, this oil on canvas presents an allegorical celebration of the Spanish monarchy under Charles III. Executed by the Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the work forms part of a larger decorative program intended to highlight the reforms and perceived prosperity of his reign.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a celestial gathering of figures amid swirling clouds, centered around a radiant sun or moon. Participants bear symbols such as spears and flags, suggesting martial and civic virtues linked to the monarch’s beneficence and the nation’s flourishing condition.
Context
The painting aligns with mid‑18th‑century courtly propaganda that used allegory to legitimize enlightened absolutism. By portraying the monarch’s rule as a celestial order, the work reinforces the narrative of progress and stability promoted by the Spanish crown during the Enlightenment era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
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