The sale of the century : artistic relations between Spain and Great Britain, 1604-1655 / edited by Jonathan Brown and John Elliott.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Brown, Jonathan, 1939-2022.

Elliott, J. H. (John Huxtable)

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685--Art collections.

Charles.

Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685.

Art museums.

Relations.

Great Britain--Relations--Spain.

Great Britain.

Spain.

Art, Modern--17th century--History.

Art, Modern.

History.

Great Britain--Foreign relations--1603-1688.

International relations.

Spain--Relations--Great Britain.

Physical Description:

315 pages : illustrations ; 31 cm

Place of Publication:

New Haven, Conn. : Yale University Press ; Madrid : Museo Nacional del Prado, 2002.

Summary:

On 30 January 1649, following his defeat in the English Civil War, Charles I was executed. A few months later, Parliament passed an 'Act for the Sale of the Late King's Goods', and in early October the 'Sale of the Century' began. Over the next four years, masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Mantegna, Veronese and other famous artists were covertly acquired by the Spanish ambassador in London. He shipped them to Madrid, where they were divided between the collections of Philip IV and his principal minister, Luis de Haro. The 'Sale of the Century' is one of the most famous events in the history of collecting and is the culminating episode in this book, which traces the political and artistic relationship of Britain and Spain in the first half of the seventeenth century. Distinguished historians and art historians begin their story in 1604 with the signing of the Anglo-Spanish Peace Treaty. They also discuss the novelesque visit to Madrid in 1623 of the Prince of Wales, the future Charles I, accompanied by the Duke of Buckingham, as well as the episode involving Peter Paul Rubens, who in 1628-29 acted as an agent in fresh peace negotiations between the two monarchies. The book includes portraits and biographies of the leading figures, contemporary representations of the major historical events, and, of course, an account of many of the masterpieces that moved from London to Madrid. Never before has this remarkable story been told in such rich and colourful detail. This fascinating book is the catalogue for an exhibition held in the Museo del Prado from March 15 to June 2, 2002.

Contents:

A Troubled Relationship: Spain and Great Britain, 1604-1655 / John Elliott 17

Spanish and English Diplomatic Representatives 39

Artistic Relations Between Spain and England 1604-1655 / Jonathan Brown 41

The Arundel Collection: Collecting and Patronage in England in the Reigns of Philip III and Philip IV / David Howarth 69

Luis De Haro as Minister, Patron and Collector of Art / Marcus B. Burke 87

Pictorial Decoration of the Escorial During the Reign of Philip IV / Bonaventura Bassegoda 107

The Treaty 142

The Prince of Wales's Visit 156

The Decade of the 1630s 192

The Sale of the Century 220

Spanish Acquisitions from British Collections 256

Documentary Appendix: Documents Relating to the Charles I Sale in the Archivo De La Casa De Alba [ACA] 278.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

0300097611

OCLC:

49594223