The Relief of Constance
1634.Not on display
This painting celebrates the freeing of the Swiss town of Constance from its besiegement by Swedish troops under General Horn, who sought to cut off communication between imperial troops and Spanish soldiers at La Valtellina and the Duchy of Milan. Along with The Storming of Rheinfelden (P637) and The Capture of Breisach (P859), this is one of the three paintings at the Hall of Realms that commemorated the victories of the Alsatian army led by Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, Duke of Feria, in 1633. As Brown and Elliot have pointed out, the decision to include in that hall’s decorative program three battles that had occurred just a few months earlier undoubtedly reflected the Count-Duke’s desire to present the year 1633 as a new annus mirabilis in order to strengthen his own position at court. Those same authors emphasized that, in a way, the Count-Duke could take credit for the Duke of Feria’s victories as the Alsatian army had been created at his own initiative to drive the Swedes and their allies away from the banks of the Upper Rhine, and he was also responsible for raising the funds to make it possible. In the painting, the Duke of Feria appears on horseback, occupying the high ground that constitutes almost half of the composition in the foreground to the left. He wears half-armor, a stiff transparent Walloon collar and a plumed hat, as well as a red general’s sash. He looks out at the viewer and holds a command staff in his left hand. A page runs alongside him, and the group of knights in armor behind them may include a representation of the cavalry commander, Lieutenant General Geraldo Gambacurta. The city of Constance appears in the background, in the lake of the same name, while the battle unfolds in the middle ground, with various military strongholds, and foot soldiers and cavalry moving across the land. As is logical, the Duke of Feria’s appearance is the same as in The Storming of Rheinfelden. It seems unlikely, however, that Carducho painted him from life, as the duke died unexpectedly in January 1634 when the series of canvases was already planned but the painters responsible for them had not yet been commissioned -that did not happen until spring, 1634. In Carducho’s case, the only document published to date about his participation in the program is a letter of payment from July 29, 1634. This indicates that he received 400 Ducats as an advance on his payment for the canvases he is painting to decorate the Royal Hall at the Buen Retiro. His high standing at court -only Velázquez overshadowed him- is indicated by the fact that he was the only artist commissioned to paint three battle scenes for the Hall of Realms. Moreover, the participation of his disciple, Félix Castelo, is probably due to his influence. It may have been a matter of pride that he was the only artist to sign and date all of his paintings. And each of the battles and the generals involved are identified in their cartouches.
Museo Nacional del Prado, El Palacio del Rey Planeta, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2005, p.142
