Spanish Renaissance armor, portraits on view together for first time at National Gallery

Spain’s Renaissance armor, portraits on view in DC

WASHINGTON — During the first three centuries of American history — from the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the new world, through the years that revolutionaries struggled for independence for the fledgling United States — Spain was already one of the word’s great empires.

Perhaps more than anything else, luxurious suits of armor were used to cultivate the image of Spanish royalty as all powerful. Kings and emperors commissioned portraits by masters — Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Diego Velazquez and others — depicting them wearing armor made of silver and gold, intricately decorated with symbols linking the Renaissance-era monarchs to antiquity.

On Sunday, the National Gallery of Art opens an exclusive exhibition of Spain’s royal armor, pairing some of the one-of-a-kind suits for the first time with portraits of the monarchs wearing the same armor. The large-scale show, “The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain,” is a first for the museum. It remains on view through Nov. 1.

“So it covers a very special period in your history, no?” noted curator Alvaro Soler del Campo, director of the Spanish Royal Armory, as he prepared to open the exhibit in Washington. While America’s rough terrain was still being settled, “on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, they were playing with armor and paintings.”

The exhibit includes several full suits of armor, helmets and shields, as well as armor built for horses. The pieces, worn by such figures as Emperor Charles V, Philip the Handsome and Philip II, were sometimes used in battle but mostly were created for parades and pageantry. The heaviest decorative suits — generally made up of plates covering the chest, mid-section, arms and legs — could weigh about 40 pounds, curators said.

It features the portraits with the armor for the first time since the paintings were created, as well as large tapestries that depict the armor in use during historic moments, such as Charles V reviewing his troops before going to battle against the Ottoman Turks to capture part of North Africa.

Earl A. Powell III, director of the National Gallery of Art, said the pieces reflect the historical realities of Spain and Europe during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

“What links the works of art are the messages they convey,” he said. “‘The Art of Power’ explores the aesthetic and symbolic universe that made these objects a central vehicle for transmitting an ideology of power.”

When the suits were created, the armor was more precious than any portrait or other symbol of status, curators said. The monarchs chose to be painted in armor that had special meaning from their historical battles or conquests.

Today the suits would likely be worth millions of dollars, though the value is difficult to estimate because none of the royal armor been sold since the 19th century.

“They were the most favorite objects of any king, any prince in Europe because they were his own suit,” del Campo said, noting that anyone who visited the king would likely first tour the Royal Armory. “If in the 16th century, you have armor decorated in this way, it means you belong to the most powerful family of Europe.”

A common symbol linking many of the pieces on view is the Golden Fleece on the collar, a small medallion that depicts a sheepskin, which is a symbol the chivalric order. Even today, the king of Spain wears the Golden Fleece at official events because he is the master of the order.

The exhibit also features armor worn by young boys in the royal family. One piece was commissioned by Philip II for his son, Philip III.

“This armor talks about the cardinal virtues — strength, temperance, justice — they are depicted here,” del Campo said, describing the piece, which includes a depiction of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war. “What they are trying to say with this decoration is how should be the life of the prince.”

In many ways, a piece of armor could be a portrait in itself — custom made for the monarch to tell of his character and accomplishments.

Many pieces take inspiration from the Bible or mythology.

Emperor Maximilian I’s equestrian parade armor, for example, features scenes across the front of the horse’s breastplate from the biblical story of Samson, along with Hercules of classical mythology. The message for the person riding the horse, then, is , “The Force Be with You,” del Campo said — just like the running theme in the “Star Wars” movies.

“So,” he said, “George Lucas, I think, was into the armory.”

On the Net:

National Gallery of Art: www.nga.gov/