"The Surrender of Breda, or the Lances" print

300 g Invercote G paper. Full image proportional to the size of the sheet (42 x 33 cm).

It is not surprising that the decision to decorate the Buen Retiro Palace`s Hall of Realms with a series of paintings narrating the military triumphs of Philip IV`s reign called for a depiction of what was probably the most resounding victory of all, The Surrender of Breda, or The Lances (Diego Velázquez, 1635). Nor is it any surprise that Velázquez, who was then the court`s most prestigious painter, was commissioned to paint it. The print includes margins on the sides to facilitate framing.