Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz - Baptismal Procession of Prince Juan through the Streets of Seville [1910]

Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz - Baptismal Procession of Prince Juan through the Streets of Seville [1910], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

This painting depicts the baptism of Prince Juan. It is based on the description of that event from Historia de los Reyes Católicos (History of the Catholic Kings) by Andrés Bernáldez, published in 1856. The documentary rigour of this text is transferred to the canvas, so we can speak here of the archeological veracity with which Pradilla reconstructed that historical event.

The refined drawing is combined with the use of rich and brilliant colours. The scene is nuanced by a strong light that leaves broad areas of the canvas in shadows, creating a certain degree of visual sensationalism.

This is one of the artist's last history paintings and was made late in his career, when his taste for anecdote and ornamentation took precedence over the gravity of the even being represented. The monumental figures of his youth give way, in this work, to a greater wealth of decoration, with the presence of numerous secondary figures.

[Museo Nacional del Prado - Oil on canvas, 193 x 403 cm]