Torre de la Parada by Anonim from Madrid

The Torre de la Parada is a former hunting lodge that was located in present-day Monte de El Pardo in Fuencarral-El Pardo, near the Royal Palace of El Pardo, some way outside Madrid in the Sierra de Guadarrama. It was mostly destroyed by fire when taken in 1714 by Austrian troops in the War of Spanish Succession, though the ruins remain.

History

It was first built in 1547-49, with

Luis de Vega Luis de Vega (? - Madrid, 1562) was a 16th-century Spanish architect appointed royal architect of Charles I. He renovated the old Alcazar of Madrid, the vanished royal residence,Sancho, J.L., 2014, Guide Palacio Real de Madrid, Madrid: Patrimonio ...

as the architect. During the years 1635–40 it was a site for a major architectural and decorative project by King Philip IV of Spain who was a great hunting enthusiast. He commissioned the Spanish architect

Juan Gómez de Mora Juan Gómez de Mora (1586–1648) was a Spanish architect, active in the 17th century. He was a main figure of Spanish early-Baroque architecture in the city of Madrid. Gómez de Mora was born and died in Madrid. His father, also , was a Spa ...

to renovate it in 1636, and had it decorated by leading painters, including

Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

and Velázquez, who contributed some of his "jester" portraits, including '' The Jester Don John of Austria'', ''

The Jester Don Diego de Acedo ''The Jester Don Diego de Acedo'' is one of a series of portraits of jesters at the court of Philip IV of Spain by Diego Velázquez. Its subject is the dwarf Don Diego de Acedo, known as "el Primo" (the Cousin). The 1645 oil painting is now in th ...

'', '' Portrait of Francisco Lezcano'' and '' Portrait of Pablo de Valladolid''. His ''Aesop'' and ''Menippus'' are also thought to have been intended for the lodge, as well as several of his well-known portraits of the royal family relaxed in hunting or riding clothes, including '' Prince Balthasar Charles as a Hunter''.

was commissioned in 1636 to produce sixty mythological paintings, which he managed to do in about 18 months, assisted by

Jacob Jordaens Jacob (Jacques) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and tapestry designer known for his history paintings, genre scenes and portraits. After Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, he was the leading Fle ...

Cornelis de Vos Cornelis de Vos (1584 – 9 May 1651) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and art dealer. He was one of the leading portrait painters in Antwerp and is best known for his sensitive portraits, in particular of children and families. He was a ...

, Peter Snayers,

Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert (1613 – 23 January 1654) was a Dutch Republic-born Flemish Baroque painter. Biography Willeboirts Bosschaert was born in Bergen op Zoom, where his Catholic family had moved in the late sixteenth century. He moved ...

, Theodoor van Thulden, Jan Boeckhorst and others, working to his designs. Forty of the paintings survive, as well as many of Rubens' oil sketches and drawings. Most of all these works are in the Prado in Madrid. The best paintings were later moved elsewhere, especially in 1710, but in 1806 a travel book describes paintings by the Flemish painters

Paul de Vos Paul de Vos (1591/92, or 1595 in Hulst – 30 June 1678 in Antwerp) was a Flemish Baroque painter who specialized in mainly in compositions of animals, hunting scenes and still lifes. He worked for an elite clientele and was a regular collaborato ...

Erasmus Quellinus II Erasmus Quellinus the Younger or Erasmus Quellinus II (1607–1678) was a Flemish painter, engraver, draughtsman and tapestry designer who worked in various genres including history, portrait, allegorical, battle and animal paintings. He was a ...

Jan Cossiers Jan Cossiers (Antwerp, 15 July 1600 – Antwerp, 4 July 1671) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman. Cossiers' earliest works were Caravaggesque genre works depicting low life scenes. Later in his career he painted mostly history and religi ...

, and "Yoris" (possibly

Joris van Son Joris van Son or Georg van Son (baptized 24 September 1623 – buried 25 June 1667 in Antwerp) was a Flemish still life painter who worked in a number of sub-genres but is principally known for his still lifes of fruit. He also painted flowers, ...

who worked with Erasmus Quellinus).A view of Spain: comprising a descriptive itinerary Vol. III
by Alexandre de Laborde, 1806

Notes

References

* "Prado
Prado Museum "Torre de La Parada"
(in Spanish) * Tinterow, Gary
''Manet/Velázquez: The French Taste for Spanish Painting''
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003, , 9781588390400

External links

{{Coord, 40, 32, 41, N, 03, 45, 19, W, display=title History of Madrid Palaces in Madrid Royal residences in Spain Demolished buildings and structures in Madrid Buildings and structures completed in 1549 Buildings and structures completed in 1636 Herrerian architecture Hunting lodges 1549 establishments in Spain Buildings and structures demolished in 1714 1714 disestablishments in Spain

History

Notes

References

Further reading

External links