Diego Velazquez - Surrender of Breda.

Year of creation: 1634

La rendicion de Breda o Las lanzas

Canvas, oil.

Original size: 307 × 367 cm

Prado Museum, Madrid

The Surrender of Breda (Spanish: La rendición de Breda or "Spears", Las lanzas) is a painting by Diego Velasquez, written in 1634-1635. Depicts the scene of the transfer of the keys of the Dutch city of Breda by its governor Justin of Nassau to the commander-in-chief of the Spanish troops Ambrosio Spinola on June 5, 1625. The second name of the canvas - "Spears" is due to the fact that almost a third of the canvas is occupied by the image of copies of the Spanish army, which make up an important part of the composition. The painting is in the Prado.

Description of the painting by Diego Velasquez “Surrender of Breda”

The plot of the world-famous painting - "Surrender of Breda" by the most talented artist of Spain of the seventeenth century - Diego Velazquez - was written based on real historical events that occurred during the life of the artist. It was there, at the fortress of Breda in the province of North Brabant near the Netherlands, that the sensational compromise was signed on the rejection of religious persecution of King Philip II, who at that time was accused of blasphemy.

The same fortress was the center of the European wars for power in this region during the long Thirty Years' War of 1618-48. Many times the fortress passed during this time into different hands until the end of the many years of bloody war and until the ascension to the throne of King Philip the Fourth. The canvas depicts an important historical moment for the country - the receipt by the Spanish commander-in-chief, under whose leadership most of the stunning conquests of Spain at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, Ambrosio Spinola, was made - the keys to the famous fortress of Breda.

Then, at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, Spain, which fought against the Republics of the United Provinces, had a great success, thanks to which most of the Netherlands lands went to Spain. In addition, in the same years, Spain successfully resisted other European countries, including England and Portugal. True, a little later the country was significantly weakened by long wars, and Spain had to retreat from some of the conquests made in those years, including in the Netherlands.

The canvas was completed by the master in 1635, in the midst of fierce bloody battles, and was intended to be displayed in the Great Hall of the new castle that belonged to King Philip the Fourth, who was on the throne at that time - Buen Retiro.

The famous painting by the legendary Spanish artist of the 17th century Diego Velázquez, entitled "Surrender of Breda", was written by him in 1635 based on real historical events that took place in Europe during his life. The painting itself was intended for the so-called Great Hall of the new palace of King Philip IV Buen Retiro, who ruled Spain at that time.

About the picture:

The plot of the picture was completely built on historical events, and the actions unfolding on it were connected with the then situation around the fortress of Breda, located in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It was in this city that the well-known compromise was signed regarding the protest against the religious persecution of King Philip II, who was accused, in fact, of blasphemy.

It was the fortress of Breda that was the center of the struggle of the armies of many European countries for dominance in the region during the so-called Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648. During all this time, until the ascension to the throne of Spain, King Philip IV, Breda passed several times from hand to hand during hostilities.

It was in the first years of the Thirty Years' War that the Spanish troops, who fought against the army of the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, managed to achieve quite serious successes, as a result of which a very large number of the Dutch territories went precisely to Spain. In addition, after that, Spain successfully resisted its other opponents, including the British and the Portuguese.

The picture shows important point the transfer of the keys to the fortress of Breda to the Spanish commander-in-chief Ambrosio Spinola, who was just able to achieve such stunning successes for his country. Although, after a short period of time, Spain was economically weakened by the war, and she had to give up a number of her conquests, including those in the Netherlands.

Painting color:

The picture has a rich and rich color scheme, but completely in the spirit of the artist, without the use of flashy, too bright colors. This spectacular canvas still impresses with the skill of painting and the beauty of the image.

The picture has another name - "Spears". Before Velazquez, many depicted such weapons, but only his palisade of long spears can be considered a real personification of war.

Description of the painting by D. Velazquez "Surrender of Breda"

Diego Velasquez is an ever-living source of truth and beauty, whose greatest legacy opens up a whole era in realistic painting, a work that will forever remain in our hearts and minds. His works carry the ideas of humanism, fidelity to the democratic tradition of Spanish culture, love for ordinary people. More directly and boldly than his predecessors, he turned to reality, expanding the themes of painting, contributing to the development of various genres in it.

I am especially interested in the historical, battle canvas, "Surrender of Breda", written by him around 1634-1635. The painting depicts a contemporary and important historical theme for him - a dramatic episode of the war between monarchist Spain and republican-bourgeois Holland, when the Spanish army conquered the border fortress of Breda. It is indicative that the painter did not begin to convey this scene with the accepted solemnity, the majesty of the victorious side: abandoning the parade-allegorical interpretation of the battle scene common in painting, the master turns to the idea of humanity, humanity; Velasquez laid the foundation for realism in historical painting.

Admiring this work, I wanted to understand the artist's intention, to feel the difficult era in which he lived and worked as a master. Find the answer to an unusual, innovative, truly bold solution to the canvas. To answer these questions, we turn to the historical era, in which this “epoch-making and at the same time so humane” canvas was created.

Considering the art of Velazquez in the context of his era, I saw how organically, naturally developed his talent, associated with the traditions of the Italian Rinascimento and with the trends of modern times. Life in Madrid, which opened Velasquez the opportunity to carefully study the most valuable royal collections - paintings by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Veronese and others, proximity to the Spanish cultural elite, meetings with Rubens who visited Spain in 1628, the first trip to Italy (1629-1631) contributed expanding his artistic horizons and improving his skills. But Diego lives in a different time, other questions and ways to solve them are facing his contemporaries. People are still in the center of attention of artists. Its embodiment becomes more concrete, emotional and psychologically complex. It reveals an infinite variety and richness inner world, national traits stand out brighter and more definitely. This new person aware of its dependence on the social environment, and in Spain the individual even turned out to be more connected with the surrounding society, which was still patriarchally monolithic, did not know the extreme forms of individualism that often manifested themselves in the Renaissance in Italy. We should not forget the fact that the following factors influenced the specificity of Spanish art: just a century ago, before the life of the artist, the Reconquista ended (the national liberation struggle of the Spanish people against the conquering Moors), which formed the foundations folk culture. The country flourished after the discovery of the New World and a time of weakening economic and political life and the assertion of a reactionary form of absolutism. And artists, therefore, pretended to be their poetic fantasy in images peeped in real life. Creating in a strict dogmatic framework, the painters managed to convey such features national character as a sense of self-worth, pride, a sense of honor associated with personal merit. The person is shown for the most part in a noble, strict and stately aspect. Along with the mythological genre, historical and household genres, portrait, landscape and still life A new range of social themes and subjects appears. Drawing and engraving are developing successfully. Masters are attracted by the theme tragic fate human, dramatic conflicts. All these processes contribute to the formation of two lines in the art of Spain by the 17th century: the courtly-aristocratic, exquisitely refined, painfully fragile art for the “initiates” (mannerism with the baroque) and the national realistic school (the formation of traditions of the left-wing line).

In his painting “The Surrender of Breda”, Velasquez refuses to falsely dramatize events, exaggerate, spectacular presentation, cutting off everything unimportant and unnecessary in order to penetrate into the depths of human experiences. In Velasquez we will not find ancient gods explaining the place of events or emphasizing the significance of what is happening, nor the geniuses of victory decorating the commander with a wreath; there are no allegorical figures symbolizing the winners and the vanquished. The artist “elevates the Event itself to the rank of an event”, the painter, as it were, removes a touch of excessive solemnity and thereby reveals its deep human meaning, he creates the first “truly historical picture in European painting. The departure from the courtly, pathetic exaggerations of the work, from the rules of the Baroque was a truly creative feat that deserves the highest recognition. Truly, the master anticipated the painters of future centuries, organically merging the traditions of his national Spanish art with realistic tendencies. To this should be added the highest skill of the painter who managed to accurately convey the historical event truthfully.

All this convincingly speaks of Diego Velazquez as one of the creators (along with Caravaggio) of not yet a new style, but already a trend, and looking at his canvas, we can say with confidence that it is one of the best works to the left line, although the artist in this work refers to the classical tradition and even to the baroque.

As you know, before Velasquez, for a long time there was an idea of depicting battle scenes as works of epic-allegorical interpretation. There were strict rules and a whole system of symbols and allegories that the artist had to follow unquestioningly. So, for example, the faces of the winners were supposed to be arrogant and triumphant, and the faces and gestures of the vanquished - humiliated and servile. The painters strove to glorify their rulers as magnificently and fantastically as possible, bringing them closer to the celestials. Velazquez, on the other hand, decided to subordinate his canvas to the main idea: to express respect for the vanquished and, above all, to see a person in the defeated - and this is the main humanistic idea of \u200b\u200bthis work. Thus, a monument was created not to military art and tactics, but to a large extent, to the nobility of the character of the commander - the winner. The artist pays tribute to the enemy army, a small nation of the Dutch who fight for their freedom, having the courage to stand up against a world power.

This is the innovative courage of the author's work, and this confirms the fact that it was written in a critical, transitional period between ideas about the ideals that appeared in the Renaissance and the harsh realities of the New Age.

The painting itself was created by the painter around 1634-1635. It was supposed to perpetuate the memory of the surrender, which was considered an impregnable fortress (Breds), and symbolize the glory and invincibility of the Spanish royal house, referring to the events of ten years ago from the history of the Spanish-Dutch war. At that time, military happiness was favorable to the Spanish oppressors. The surrender, which was considered an impregnable fortress, after many months of siege, in 1625, everywhere, was exalted as the greatest strategic achievement of the time. The work is done on canvas with oil. The dimensions of the canvas are simply amazing (307 x 367 cm). This testifies to the high skill of the artist, since one must have an accurate eye, competently master the drawing and be guided by the laws of composition, “in order to boldly and confidently, whole and beautifully” organize the space of the picture. Today it is on public display in the Prado Museum (Madrid).

The artist depicted the moment when Governor Justino of Nassau handed over the keys to the city to the Spanish commander Marquis Ambrosio Spinola. It should also be noted that the presentation of the city keys to the soldiers of the enemy army means one thing: the city surrendered. This custom was born in those distant times, when almost all European cities were large or not very large fortresses, which were really locked with keys at night.

Diego Velazquez created a huge number of portrait images, the power of which lies in the depth psychological analysis and chased sharpness of characteristics. The painter in portraits does not flatter the models, but represents each in individual uniqueness, national and social characteristics.

As for the "Surrender of Breda", the originality of the artist's method reached a new height in it: he strives to reveal in the integral unity of the soldiers the essential character traits, spiritual and mental makeup of each person in their complexity and contradictions. The master gives the correct, psychological characteristics of the main actors. Painting canvas includes several portraits: a portrait of the winner of Spinola himself, perhaps a portrait of the artist himself, who was not present at the surrender of Breda ": he places his self-portrait (a young man in a hat at the right side of the picture) in the generality of the Spanish army, and, of course, the second representative is depicted from the warring parties - Justino. With the help of the simplest means and techniques, the artist recreates life in all its truth, simplicity and at the same time charm - a mystery that still amazes us today. The portraits of soldiers of both armies painted by him are distinguished by the fidelity of the depicted physiognomies, the transfer of an individual type, an expression of national pride and a sense of dignity. Nature is reflected in them, as in a mirror; there is not a shadow of any conventionality in them. So, behind Spinola's outward secular restraint, one can feel both the proud consciousness of victory and the nobility of his nature: he politely meets the defeated, paying tribute to the courage and unbroken spirit of the Dutch. Stepping heavily, with a bare head, he goes towards the victorious Nassau, it seems that he is ready to kneel, handing over the keys, and Spinola dismounted, took off his hat and, stretching his hand forward, did not allow the Dutchman to kneel. With the elegance of a true knight, he places his right hand on the Dutchman's shoulder, holding his hat and marshal's baton in his left. The Spaniard friendly welcomes the commandant. The Spaniard does not seem to notice that von Nassau is handing over the keys to him. It can be seen that Spinola is in every possible way concerned that his opponents should not feel the humiliation of the situation in the least; he treats von Nassau not as a defeated enemy, but, on the contrary, as a person who, in his unenviable position, cannot be denied sympathy. The movement of the Dutchman forms a distinct diagonal, thereby expressing his subordinate position, and the movements of the winner are full of courtesy and respect for the defeated, the Spaniard's face expresses ordinary human feelings - feelings of empathy and respect. Their postures and gestures are justified, natural. The Dutchman is excited and deeply experiencing the event, he appears somewhat defenseless in the image, this feeling is conveyed by a certain hunchback in front of the Spaniard and a detail: the hat is removed, but Spinola, as a sign of respect, also stands with his head uncovered. In what other historical canvas of the 17th century, depicting a military episode, can one hear so many more human sounds that touch the soul! It clearly sounds a peaceful note of human respect for the valor of the enemy. Looking at the features of two people, it becomes clear what exactly humanistic idea distinguishes "Surrender of Breda" from previous works on historical themes. This is something new that did not exist before Velasquez, this is his trait, by which you recognize his work, his work.

It is also interesting how the deep difference in the attire of the two generals is striking: Justin is dressed in a marching, devoid of ceremonial gloss, golden-brown suit; The spinola is clad in black armor, over which a pink scarf is tied - this contrast also reveals the differences between them and gives the work a special color and truthfulness. This is also a factor proving that this work belongs to a turning point, a time of struggle between the new and the old in Spanish society. In the picture of Velasquez, we no longer see the behavior of an exemplary knight, but the formula for the relationship of people of the New Age.

It cannot be said that the transfer of the keys to the Dutch fortress of Breda to the Spaniards is a semantic and central-geometric knot of the composition. The "key of the picture" - it is also the key in the material sense - is highlighted by a dark silhouette in a light polygon between the main figures playing the role of wings (an artistic technique of classicism) - that's all art space and the integrity of the canvas are tied to this handover ceremony. Everything revolves around the key hanging in the center, as if it contains some kind of mystery, as if the further course of events will depend on what and how they do with it. The key turns into a kind of tuning fork of time. And this is also a sign of the New Age. This center is concentrated main point what is happening, and the viewer pays attention first of all to it. And the attention of almost all the actors is drawn to what is happening in the center, which is emphasized by the aspect of lighting and aerial perspective. The "key" of the composition and movement of the figures links the left and right parts of the picture (warring armies) and at the same time creates the depth of space. The breadth of the idea is emphasized by the landscape, in which the reflections of the flames and the smoke of the fire merge with the silvery mist of a summer morning. And, looking at the landscape panorama unfolding behind the backs of people, you notice how the artist sketchily, without a thick overlay of colors, reproduces difficult and subtle effects, enhancing the spatiality of the image. The entire background is relegated to an immeasurable distance: only in some places are traces of the recent battle, the bastions of Breda shrouded in a light silvery fog, but Velasquez accurately conveys the signs of the area - he is the innovation of the painter, one feels how he wants to truthfully convey not only the event, but also the scene .

Before proceeding to the description of both camps: Spanish and Dutch, we note the complete absence of an average transitional plan (between the first plans and distances - a failure) and the characters are close to the front plane of the picture, which indicates the artist's acquaintance with the techniques of classicism (bas-relief),

Both groups of soldiers are characterized objectively, with the identification of differences in the national and social characteristics of each of them. Their faces are portrait and at the same time typical, which enhances the significance of what is happening, turns a small event into an image of a historically important one.

On the right side of the picture, the Spaniards crowded tightly, monolithically, with spears triumphantly directed upwards, creating an image of a powerful force, designed to demonstrate the power of the Spanish state. The guns form a single wall, cutting off the front plane of the canvas from the back (it is no coincidence that the painting also bears the second name “Spears”). sees in the organization, discipline of the professional Spanish army Proud Spanish grandees in armor: warriors in similar clothes, almost in uniform. The Spaniards have similar hairstyles, mustaches, expressions of sophisticated faces. They form an organized system, standing closely, as a single cohesive mass. And Diego skillfully weakens this tense spot with the croup of the horse, thereby preserving the harmonic structure of the picture. The Spanish soldiers are so closely packed that people block each other, and those behind are depicted as standing taller.

The group of Dutchmen on the left side of the picture is placed more freely and naturally, the disorganization and spontaneity of which is conveyed by a variety of clothes, poses. Each defender of the city is individual: despite the significance of the moment (handover of the keys), the Dutch do not observe the military order: one stands with his back to the viewer, the other sideways, a young man in white talks with a comrade in arms, putting a hat on his musket. Yes, and other Dutch hold weapons arbitrarily. The interpretation of the theme was also innovative: the defeated Dutch, concentrated on the left side of the picture, are presented with the same sense of dignity as the winners - the Spaniards, grouped in a denser mass on the right side of the composition, against the backdrop of rows of mines. The faces of the militias of the garrison do not bear the stamp of fear and admiration - on the contrary, they are filled with some kind of internal ebullient activity, people are keenly interested in what is happening. And although their spears and banners bowed before the enemy, the expression of independence of spirit dominates in free poses and open faces. No, the Dutch are not defeated, having been defeated, they do not lose heart. This is noticeable in their postures, the nature of their movements. New fight ahead! And again, the ephemerality of the victory of the Spaniards is felt - the future already belongs to people of a new formation, professing new values and ideals. The painter makes the viewer think about the clash of the old and the new, while the internal flow in the picture is not immediately noticeable, and it seems that the painter does not take the position of either side. And only a true master is capable of this.

Velazquez strives for the most truthful transfer of characters, the master carefully peers into the faces of his opponents, his genuine interest in each person is felt. All “highlighted” faces are unique and at the same time similar to each other. The artist creates the most magnificent portraits of military leaders and ordinary soldiers, and you understand that personalities are growing in front of us, with their thoughts, dreams and hopes for the best, but Diego Velasquez does not imitate the baroque masters, does not seek to throw out a sea of feelings on the canvas - the artist conveys only natural, realistic movements of the souls and bodies of people located on different sides of the main action. And again in the picture there is a motive of equality, the denial of the superiority of one over the other. In addition to the striking portrait resemblance, there is a noticeable commonality that forms a kind of “body unity” of the Spanish army. In a completely natural way, it came out through a smooth transition from the middle plan to the foreground and filled the historical stage with itself. Spinola also took a step towards his army, stepping back from the front line of the historical ramp, and thereby gained physical, moral and spiritual unity with his soldiers. Velasquez skillfully used the antithesis technique at the level of the following categories: movement-rest, volume-flatness, warm-cold colors, giving preference to the Netherlands in some way, which betrays in the artist the gift of a seer who saw the future power of Holland. It is the defeated Justin de Nassau who is depicted in action - he is heavy and slow, but he advances, while Spinola is standing. The figures of the Dutch are voluminous and materially tangible, they are actively advancing thanks to the light and warm color scheme(accents of yellow-gold, white and green) and literally move into the real space of the viewer (a figure in yellow on the edge of the picture). In addition, they are psychologically active, which is expressed both in the individualization of each reaction to events, and in a direct appeal to the viewer (the look of a man with a musket in green). At the same time, the ranks of the Spanish army are deployed in depth, and, as it were, retreat from the picture plane, gradually flattening and merging with the planar graphics of the pattern of spears and the blueness of the sky. This impression is also facilitated by the visual "retreat" of the dark and refined cold tones of blue and pearl pink. Before our eyes real people frescoes turn into the past, the myth of spears recedes before the reality of a tightly tailored halberd and a musket that is completely ineffective only in appearance, victory turns into defeat.

And not so unexpectedly in the battle scene, there is a moment of silence: impending changes are felt in the air (let us recall at least the inner current to which we referred above): people are listening, trying to catch these changes. And that is why the motive of listening is so important in Velasquez's picture - the Nassau page, a young man in white behind the commander, solemnly frozen Spanish and silent Dutch armies, the heavens themselves stopped in their movement, calls for this directly, with an expressive gesture.

In the painting by Diego Velasquez, the composition is extremely clear and tactile. In the center is the main event - the handover of the keys. At the same time, it is formed by the movement of two key figures, the contrast of which in relation to those around them is so active that the artist (in order not to destroy the integrity of the composition) “stopped” them with the rhythm of the copies and the rump of the horse on the right side of the picture. The center - the "key" is surrounded by double wings: with the help of the figures of generals and soldiers (a trend of classicism), this epic event is emphasized. Thanks to this, a special harmony of all elements of the picture is achieved. But compositionally, the picture is divided into two more parts: the upper one is free, the lower one is occupied by figures.

There is also a rhythm of symmetrical groups in the picture. On the left is the Dutch army, on the right is the Spanish, in the center is an empty space, a pause. Moreover, the nature of the rhythm within the symmetrical groups on the left and right is different. The right group - the army of victors - has a rhythm that creates the impression of solidity, its strength. This impression is emphasized by the nature of the spears and the turning of the horse in the foreground. The nature of the rhythm of the defeated troops on the left creates the impression of greater fragmentation, the figures, which are closer to the foreground than on the right, do not allow depicting many figures. This creates the impression of a small number and weakness of the troops.

It is amazing how the artist managed to create a moment of unity, despite the fact that the armies are still quite different. The moment of generalization is achieved precisely with the help of bands of rhythms that encircle the central part and ensure the interconnection of all parts of the picture.

And in terms of composition, this work is a vivid example of the art of the New Age, and it can be safely attributed to the out-of-body line.

The color stand of the picture.

Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velasquez is one of the first masters of valere painting. The gray tones of his paintings shimmer with many shades, while the blacks are light and transparent. The bright warm tones of the Dutch clothes, the cold bluish-green of the Spaniards, are illuminated by an even silvery light, creating an atmosphere of early morning and forming a rich light and air environment. The virtuoso stroke is diverse: the ways of applying paint are interesting - from gentle imperceptible touches of the brush in the background to energetic strokes and free bravura strokes that form the shape and volume of people's robes. The virtues of color are combined in Velazquez's painting with clarity and majestic simplicity of composition, a sense of proportion.

The impeccable fidelity and refined sophistication of Velasquez's eye, which knows how to enjoy both the richness and depth of the bright color chords of the foreground, is striking. And at the same time, we notice the subtlest reflections interacting with halftones and chiaroscuro, which enhances the transmission of materiality.

The painter turns to the problem of the formation of the air environment: deaf dark shadows disappear, sharp lines, silvery light and air literally envelop the figures. Pleasant gray tones muffle the brightness of individual colors of the picture. An unprecedented feeling of depth appears, the artist faithfully reproduces the state of the Dutch air, filled with the moisture of the near sea. Everything eloquently speaks of Velazquez's desire to convey reality more fully and reliably.

The color scheme is sparing, but extraordinarily rich: it is built on a few tones - black, yellow, pink and green - combined with gray different strength, intensity and hue, from dark gray to pearl, and these various gray spots tie the individual elements of the picture into a single compositional whole.

Noble cold prevails in this canvas, from which only separate spots of yellow, black and light shades of white break out. The background is perceived as an invisible distance, lost in the morning haze of fog and fires, on which two camps stand out.

Let us note a peculiar “play” of tonal spots: the gaze goes from the dark armor of Spinola to the tail of the horse and further to the own shadow of the Dutch army.

It is impossible not to admire the accuracy and richness of Diego Velazquez's drawing. The artist carefully, with the help of a brush, models the faces, hands and clothes of the characters in the picture. The volume of the figures is formed due to color solutions in color and numerous natural reflexes characteristic of the natural environment.

The artist actively uses the line with which he conveys the movement of people. For example: the movement of the commandant enhances the transverse folds of his suit, as well as the position of the legs and the aspiration of the torso to the right plane of the picture.

The painter skillfully models the hands: they feel the natural movements of the two main characters towards each other. Velazquez depicts the characters anatomically correctly, although their bodies are hidden under clothing: Spinola stands slightly leaning on one of his legs and leaning towards the Dutchman.

Thanks to the rhythm of the lines, a smooth, lively movement is created, evoking the feeling that the artist managed to capture a brief moment, an episode from ordinary life.

The soft, airy contour of the painter not only outlines the edges of objects, but, gently curving, glides smoothly, and very often it simply disappears. This means that the master uses a “live line”, which enhances additional movements. For example, the Dutchman's marching suit is in the foreground.

The master also actively uses chiaroscuro, with its help he achieves an amazing “naturalness” of the figures and gives the picture depth. And this is the exclusivity of the talent of Diego Velasquez, who can convey the stunning effects of realistic vision. This once again confirms the fact that Diego, as an artist, has made a lot of innovation in the art of the New Age. It is also gratifying to see how solidly, correctly the figures of the characters are drawn, forming a bizarre but harmonious pattern.

Having examined the painting “Surrender of Breda”, it can be argued that in the work of Velazquez, the leftist line, which originated in modern times, was most fully expressed. Proceeding from this, Diego Velazquez uses in his work pictorial techniques that have a realistic orientation (air environment, chiaroscuro, characteristic of natural lighting, harmonious color solutions of soft morning lighting, composition, and so on), and most importantly, this canvas embodied the hopes of people Despite the fact that, despite the many problems of the new complex world that a person encounters, they can be destroyed by good natural relationships (one feels a connection with the Baroque), it can be said with confidence that this canvas is most fully identified with the art of the New Age: first of all with an off-line line, and partly with baroque and classicism.

As for artistic techniques, Velasquez uses them so competently and accurately (“sculpting” forms, harmonious close tones, natural movements and complexity of composition) that this painting is rightfully the first example of a new canvas - a canvas of historical realism. The purpose of which is to truthfully convey at the moment of some upheavals the complex feelings of a person who was “rediscovered” by the masters of the Renaissance.

It can be said without exaggeration that the work of Diego Velasquez is a true transfer of reality, which he masterfully embodied in The Surrender of Breda.

velazquez delirium surrender picturesque

Bibliography

1. Alpatov M.V. "Hinted Legacy". Moscow: Education, 1990.

2. “Renaissance. Baroque. Classicism. Problems of Styles in Western European Art” Editor Viller. Moscow: Nauka, 1966

3. "History of foreign art." Thought edited by M.T. Kuzmina, N.L. Maltseva, M.: 1980.

4. José Ortega y Gasset "Introduction to Velazquez" Per. from Spanish Lysenko E.S. Petrov M.:, 1991.

"Surrender of Breda" - canvas historical genre, which was intended for the hall of the royal palace in Madrid. When Velazquez started painting the picture, he was separated by almost a decade from this event; In 1625, after a months-long siege of the border fortress of Breda, Justin von Nassau was forced to surrender it to his opponent Ambrogio Spinola. However, the artist made this event sound in a modern way. Without falling into pathos and triumphant glee, he depicts the episode of handing over the keys to the city. A non-belligerent victorious mood reigns in the picture - a peace-loving note of human respect for the valor of the enemy clearly sounds in it. The characters of both the Spaniards and the Dutch, winners and losers, are conveyed with inimitable skill.

On the right side of the picture, the Spaniards huddled tightly; the isolation of this part of the composition in the foreground is violated only by the figure of a horse beating its hooves on the ground. Spears pointing upwards, designed to demonstrate the power of the Spanish army, limit the picture in the background. The Dutch group on the left side of the picture is placed more freely and "at ease". Here the viewer's gaze immediately lingers on a young officer in a light-cream camisole. He deeply experiences the event: turning away, the young man lowers his eyes and examines something so as not to see what is happening.

His companion laid a hand on his shoulder with friendly concern. To the left of the crowd of companions, a hunched Justin von Nassau separates. Stepping heavily, with a bare head, he goes towards the winner and, it seems, is ready to kneel, handing over the keys. As one of the eyewitnesses of this meeting tells: “Spinola greeted the commandant in a friendly way, hugged him and addressed him with warm words, praising his courage and perseverance.” What a humanly deep reflection this message found in the work of Velasquez! Spinola, kindly leaning towards the Dutchman, does not seem to notice that von Nassau is handing over the keys to him.

With the elegance of a true knight, he puts his right hand on his shoulder, holding his hat and marshal's baton in his left. It can be seen that Spinola, of whom Rubens said that he was "one of the wisest and most intelligent people he had ever met", was in every way concerned that his opponent should not feel the humiliation of the situation; he treats von Nassau not as a defeated enemy, but, on the contrary, as a man who cannot be denied sympathy. Understanding the inconstancy of military fortune prompted the artist to such an interpretation of the historical event. And indeed, two years after the completion of the picture, Breda again passed to the Dutch.

Elena MEDKOVA

Surrender of Breda

1635. Prado, Madrid

Velázquez's "Surrender of Breda" (307 x 367 cm) is part of a grandiose political project conceived and implemented under the patronage of Count Olivares on the eve of the brewing military conflict between Spain and its main rival in the political arena - France.

In the period from 1630 to 1635, to the east of Madrid, the giant summer royal residence of Bu en Retiro was built at an unusually fast pace, the semantic center of which was the Battle Gallery, later called the Hall of the Kingdoms. The twenty-seven canvases that adorned the palace were supposed to be in allegorical (ten paintings about the exploits of Hercules by Zurbaran), documentary (twelve scenes of victories of Spanish weapons by Velasquez, Zurbaran, Cajes, Carducho, Maino Castelo, Pereda, D. Leonardo) and symbolic (five equestrian portraits of the royal family by Velasquez) to testify to the power of the Spanish state and present the reign of Philip IV as a worthy continuation of the military and political successes of Spain in the 16th century.

Strengthening the myth of the invincibility of the Spanish weapons was, in the opinion of the authorities, especially necessary in connection with the clearly felt spirit of general trouble in the state of affairs in the foreign and domestic political arena: the memories of the death of the Great Armada were still fresh, the Netherlands fiercely and stubbornly resisted during the bloody Thirty Years war, little Holland successfully repulsed the aggression of Spain and pushed it out on the sea. It was also restless within Spain itself, which was realized in the subsequent secession of Portugal. Moreover, in Spanish society itself, fatigue was felt from centuries of being in a state of war, from imperial heroism and the hardships of world hegemony: the absence of a unifying goal, like the Reconquista or the creation of a world empire, undermined the discipline of the nation as a whole - the nobles reluctantly went into the army. According to Ortega y Gasset, “the bitter truth is that even exhausted, having lost her great generals, pressed by enemies, Spain at that time could have survived if she had a drop of pragmatic thinking, the ability to see facts, analyze them and take appropriate solutions". The Spanish authorities responded to the real threats of the time not by reorganizing the troops, not by economic reforms, but by an ideological action and the construction of a new palace.

Analysis of the works of G. Leonardo ("The Capture of Julier"), H.B. Maino (“The Conquest of Bahia”), F. Zurbaran (“Fernando Giron defends Cadiz from the British”) shows that they all fully shared the prevailing at that time and rooted in medieval ideology ideas about the essence of history, according to which the historical fate of the nation is “ the fate of the family crowned with a crown" ( M.A. barg), the fate of the dynasty and personally the king, who stood at the very beginning of the hierarchically built "great chain of being".

In ideological terms, the "chain of being" was conceived as a chain of ascent from the inorganic world to the world of plants, animals, man and the divine world; in relation to society - as a hierarchy of estates. Since the time of Dionysius the Areopagite (5th century), the hierarchy was based on the principle of “degree of nobility”, which was given at birth. According to this, the main characters of historical events, endowed with the fullness of freedom of choice and action, could only be the king himself, or representatives of the nobility.

The "Conquest of Bailly" is presented by Maino as a divine miracle of the appearance of the face/portrait of King Philip IV in combat positions (compare with the myths about the role of the miraculous icon in averting the enemy on the battlefield). At the same time, in the picture depicted inside the picture, another miracle occurs - the goddess of war Minerva herself crowns the king with a wreath of the winner. As a result, reality becomes doubly mythologized: the ancient myth overshadows the victory of the most orthodox of the kings of the Christian world, who appropriates the divine abilities to perform miracles.

In Zurbaran's Defense of Cadiz, the main characters of the historical event are representatives of the highest nobility. They, like divine puppeteers, move the figures in the "theater of military operations" by will and thought. Looking at their extremely calm and seemingly uninterested behavior, one might think that they are discussing some philosophical problem, and not directing the battle. Their role is similar to the divine - to be the root cause and motionless engine of events. Their place is in the foreground, on the “Olympus” of history as close as possible to the viewer, towering equally above both those looking at the picture and the battle itself. Military actions are pushed into an immeasurable distance, which, by its very remoteness, turns the distant plan into a kind of topographic map seen from a bird's eye view. The whole structure of the picture convinces that each estate in the historical action is well in its place, within the framework of the function assigned to it, and between them lies an insurmountable boundary, which in the picture is physically emphasized by the complete absence of an average transitional plan (between the first plans and the distances - a failure) .

The traditional historical concept of Leonardo's painting "The Capture of Julier" is even more significant due to the fact that it depicts the same character - the Spanish commander Ambrosio de Spinola, Marquis de los Balbases, as in the painting by Velazquez "Surrender of Breda". At the same time, in both paintings, he is depicted in a similar situation of accepting the keys to the city that was forced to surrender. The capitulation in Leonardo's painting takes place according to the chivalrous etiquette so revered in conservative Spanish society - the defeated enemy is not trampled or insulted, but made to feel his true place. The distance between the victor sitting on a horse and the vanquished kneeling is enormous. The losers are doomed to look up at the winners. They are creatures from different worlds- mountain and valley. Their hands will never meet. And the defeated will never be able to climb to the height of that Olympus, on which the Spanish troops are heaped in their majesty. However, on Leonardo’s Olympus there is no place for the entire Spanish army either, it is only indicated by a forest of spears and banners and quite intentionally, in the spirit of the class concept, is obscured by the figures of military leaders.

Velasquez's painting "Surrender of Breda", which is considered to be an example of the artistic concept of historicism of the New Age, at first glance, contains the same components: the figures of generals - in the center and in the foreground, the behavior of Spinola - a model of behavior, according to the knightly code of honor, on the spot and spears are the main symbol of the famous civil guard, which everyone in Spain was proud of, from the king to the last beggar. The picture did not arouse objections in the public opinion of that time. On the contrary, judging by the second title of the painting "Spears" given by rumor, Velázquez's contemporaries perceived it as the apotheosis of the Spanish weapons - the close system of the invincible phalanx that carried the Spanish empire.

The corporate-estate portrait of the Spanish nobility in the picture was perceived in the same pietic vein. We again meet with the amazing ability of Velazquez to act within the framework of the archetypal semantic field of Spanish culture, placing accents in a new way, as a result of which a completely new model historical thinking, fundamentally different from the traditional class.

Take the same collective portrait of the Spanish Guard. Its prototype is a number of paintings by El Greco, including the famous "Espolio" ("Tearing off clothes"), which presents a generalized portrait of the Spanish aristocracy, bound by the mystical unity of high spirituality and belonging to Catholicism. Velázquez uses the plastic formula invented by El Greco, in which the presented corporate set has portraits of individualized faces and, as it were, a single mystical body (people block each other, and those standing behind are depicted as standing higher), however, in his interpretation, the peculiar “unity of the body” emphasizes not the mystical connection of the chosen class, but the very real unity and cohesion of the Spanish army. In a completely natural way, it came out through a smooth transition of the middle plan to the fore and filled with itself, on an equal footing with the nobility and military leaders, the historical stage. Spinola also took a step towards his army, stepping back from the front line of the historical ramp, and thereby gained physical, moral and spiritual unity with his soldiers.

Velazquez gently and unobtrusively blurred the class barriers of the medieval mechanisms of historical existence and instead of the apotheosis of the Spanish military leader, he proposed another, no less attractive formula for exalting the unity and glory of the Spanish army, which carries the sky on the tips of its spears, and with their measured rhythm streamlines the chaos of war. This formula was addressed to the ruling elite in need of modernizing the national myth.

But the content of the historical concept of Velasquez is not exhausted by this, since the collective portrait of the Spanish army in the picture corresponds to an equally equivalent collective portrait of the enemy army, and this is not so much a different army as a different national and social mentality. Comparison within the framework of a single pictorial space of two specific historical communities: absolutist Spain and the republican Netherlands, feudal estate mentality and the mentality of the third estate, the mysticism of Catholicism and the pragmatism of Protestantism, the discipline of hierarchy and freedom of individualism - leads to the emergence of truly historical thinking. The latter is characterized by the unity of the space-time continuum - on the basis of filling with specific historical content the spatial (family, clan, ethno-political community of the tribe and the state, the Universe in the final analysis) and temporal (past, present, future) human relations.

At the same time, Velasquez, obeying his amazing intuition, creates a purely plastic and pictorial equivalent of the historical specifics of the two communities. And the point here is not only that, on the basis of an in-depth analysis of the historical and pictorial sources available to him, Velazquez conveyed in the very poses of the depicted figures the essence of the spiritual opposition of the corporate-class organization of Spanish society and the individualistic-autonomous being of the Dutch, but that he is at the level subconsciously perceived categories (active - passive, movement - lack of movement, volume - plane, warm - cold colors) prescribes a certain implicitly felt vector historical development events in favor of the Netherlands.

Contrary to the plot that tells about the defeat of the Dutch, both the historical future and historical activity remain with them. It is the defeated Justin de Nassau who is depicted in action - he is heavy and slow, but he advances, while Spinola is standing. The figures of the Dutch are voluminous and materially tangible, they actively advance thanks to the light and warm colors (accents of yellow-gold, white and green) and literally move into the real space of the viewer (the figure in yellow on the edge of the picture). In addition, they are psychologically active, which is expressed both in the individualization of each reaction to events, and in a direct appeal to the viewer (the look of a man with a musket in green). At the same time, the ranks of the Spanish army are deployed in depth, and, as it were, retreat from the picture plane, gradually flattening and merging with the planar graphics of the pattern of spears and the blueness of the sky. This impression is also facilitated by the visual "retreat" of the dark and refined cold tones of blue and pearl pink. Before our eyes, real people turn into the past of a fresco, the myth of fragile spears recedes before the reality of a tightly tailored halberd and a completely ineffective-looking musket, victory turns into defeat.

Velázquez succeeded in focusing on the naturalness of the moment of the present, perceived with almost photographic transience (light touch, half tilt), to convey the fluid variability and multidimensionality of the historical time flow itself: for some, it inevitably rushes into the past, for others - into the future.

From a point of view specific to the 17th century. historical concept of time as the variability of fate, we can say that Velazquez offers a new formula for the equality of the opposing sides in the face of Fortune. This is also supported by a complex system of iconographic formulas perceived at the subconscious level of associations. The system of figures of Spinola and Nassau, established by Velazquez, at an abstract level resembles scales swung to one side - a familiar attribute of the goddess of fate. At the same time, this position of the system is fleeting, since in a moment Nassau will straighten up and equal in height with his opponent and thereby restore balance. Recall that the surrender of Breda is only one of the episodes of the war, and not the entire campaign as a whole.

Moreover, the silhouette of the scales is enclosed in a circular dynamic composition(see the mirror position of the postures of the horses, the circle of parting participants in the event), which is associated with the ever-spinning wheel of Fortune. Winners and losers can switch places at any time. Everything revolves around the key hanging in the center, as if it contains some kind of mystery, as if the further course of events will depend on what and how they do with it. The key turns into a kind of tuning fork of time.

When measuring the situational choice of the present moment by a temporal historical perspective, it is important not to make a mistake. The only way to guarantee the right choice is to listen to the time. It is not for nothing that the motive of listening is so important in Velazquez's painting - the page of Nassau, a young man in white behind the commander, solemnly frozen Spanish and silent Dutch armies, and the heavens themselves stopped in their movement, call for this directly, with an expressive gesture.

The historical temporal consciousness revealed a rather simple truth to a person: “even if the world of time is boring, but it is important, even if it is limited and emotionally poor, it is stable, this is a world of established rhythms, which is preferable to the zigzags of “actors” living by one imagination or by “one’s own calendar "... life constantly puts a person before a choice, and inexorable time leaves him only one and only alternative - activity, foresight and prudence in dealing with time" ( M.A.barg).

In conditions of military operations, when success is changeable, foresight and prudence dictate humane treatment of the enemy as a kind of advance in the expectation that the enemy will adhere to the same civilized rules of warfare. According to A.K. Yakimovich, “in the picture of Velasquez, we see not the behavior of an exemplary knight, but the formula of relations between people of the New Age. They calculate their behavior in the theater of operations in the same way as they calculated their actions (expenditures, intrigues, demarches, etc.) in the field of economics and politics ... Velasquez's painting formally depicts the triumph of Spanish weapons in Holland.

Creating a picturesque formula of the relations of the military law of the New Age, Velazquez did not oppose himself and his concept of "his time", measured by the national Spanish chronotrope. He places his self-portrait (a young man in a hat at the left side of the picture) in the community of the Spanish army. He (and we along with him) admires and is proud of the high tragic ethos of the national myth of the inflexible chivalrous army that is fading into the past. Moreover, Velasquez overshadows the whole scene and his native army with the sacred authority of the Bible. The fact is that as an iconographic source of the composition “Surrender of Breda”, Velazquez used the woodcut “Abraham and Melchizedek” by B. Salomon, well known to his contemporaries.

Published for the first time in 1553 in Lyon, it was widely circulated in many editions of the Bible. The biblical story tells of the solemn meeting of the victorious army of Abraham by Melchizedek, the high priest of Jerusalem. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and offered him bread and wine. According to Christian tradition, this scene was seen as a prototype of the Last Supper and the Eucharist, respectively, Melchizedek acted as the forerunner of Christ.

In Velazquez's painting, Spinola stands in the position of Abraham, behind whom rise the spears of the victorious host. Abraham's victory is unconditional, but he himself belongs to the past of the Old Testament. The future belongs to the Gospel and Melchizedek as the herald of Christ and, accordingly, to Nassau, who is placed in the position of Melchizedek.

In this system, the Spanish community is assigned the role of the forefather, the foundation of the foundations, the root of the roots. European civilization blessing the future.

Description of the painting by D. Velazquez "Surrender of Breda"

Admiring this work, I wanted to understand the artist's intention, to feel the difficult era in which he lived and worked as a master. Find the answer to an unusual, innovative, truly bold solution to the canvas. To answer these questions, let us turn to the historical era in which this “epoch-making and at the same time so humane” canvas was created.

Considering the art of Velazquez in the context of his era, I saw how organically, naturally developed his talent, associated with the traditions of the Italian Rinascimento and with the trends of modern times. Life in Madrid, which opened Velasquez the opportunity to carefully study the most valuable royal collections - paintings by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Veronese and others, proximity to the Spanish cultural elite, meetings with Rubens who visited Spain in 1628, the first trip to Italy (1629-1631) contributed expanding his artistic horizons and improving his skills. But Diego lives in a different time, other questions and ways to solve them are facing his contemporaries. People are still in the center of attention of artists. Its embodiment becomes more concrete, emotional and psychologically complex. It reveals the infinite diversity and richness of the inner world, national features stand out brighter and more definitely. This new man is aware of his dependence on the social environment, and in Spain the personality even turned out to be more connected with the surrounding society, which was still patriarchally monolithic, did not know the extreme forms of individualism that often manifested themselves in the Renaissance in Italy. We should not forget the fact that the following factors influenced the specificity of Spanish art: just a century ago, before the time of the artist’s life, the Reconquista (the national liberation struggle of the Spanish people against the conquering Moors) ended, which formed the foundations of folk culture. The country flourished after the discovery of the New World and a time of weakening economic and political life and the establishment of a reactionary form of absolutism. And the artists, therefore, pretended their poetic fantasy in images peeped in real life. Creating within a strict dogmatic framework, the painters were able to convey such traits of the national character as self-esteem, pride, a sense of honor associated with personal merits. The person is shown for the most part in a noble, strict and stately aspect. Along with the mythological genre, historical and everyday genres, portrait, landscape and still life, are gaining an independent place. A new circle of social themes and plots appears. Drawing and engraving are developing successfully. Masters are attracted by the theme of the tragic fate of man, dramatic conflicts. All these processes contribute to the formation of two lines in the art of Spain by the 17th century: the courtly-aristocratic, exquisitely refined, painfully fragile art for the “initiates” (mannerism with the baroque) and the national realistic school (the formation of traditions of the left-wing line).

In his painting “The Surrender of Breda”, Velasquez refuses to falsely dramatize events, exaggerate, spectacular presentation, cutting off everything unimportant and unnecessary in order to penetrate into the depths of human experiences. In Velasquez we will not find ancient gods explaining the place of events or emphasizing the significance of what is happening, nor the geniuses of victory decorating the commander with a wreath; there are no allegorical figures symbolizing the winners and the vanquished. The artist “elevates the Event itself to the rank of an event”, the painter, as it were, removes a touch of excessive solemnity and thereby reveals its deep human meaning, he creates the first “truly historical picture in the painting of Europe”. The departure from the courtly, pathetic exaggerations of the work, from the rules of the Baroque was a truly creative feat that deserves the highest recognition. Truly, the master anticipated the painters of future centuries, organically merging the traditions of his national Spanish art with realistic tendencies. To this should be added the highest skill of the painter who managed to accurately convey the historical event truthfully.

All this convincingly speaks of Diego Velazquez as one of the creators (along with Caravaggio) of not yet a new style, but already a trend, and looking at his canvas, we can say with confidence that it is one of the best works of the left line, although the artist in this work refers to the classical tradition and even to the baroque.

Diego Velazquez created a huge number of portrait images, the strength of which lies in the depth of psychological analysis and the precise sharpness of the characteristics. The painter in portraits does not flatter the models, but represents each in individual uniqueness, national and social characteristics.

As for the "Surrender of Breda", the originality of the artist's method reached a new height in it: he strives to reveal in the integral unity of the soldiers the essential character traits, spiritual and mental makeup of each person in their complexity and contradictions. The master gives the correct, psychological characteristics of the main characters. The pictorial canvas includes several portraits: a portrait of the winner of Spinola himself, perhaps a portrait of the artist himself, who was not present at the surrender of Breda ": he places his self-portrait (a young man in a hat at the right side of the picture) in the generality of the Spanish army, and, of course, is depicted the second representative of the warring parties - Justino. With the help of the simplest means and techniques, the artist recreates life in all its truth, simplicity and at the same time charm - a mystery that still amazes us today. The portraits of soldiers of both armies painted by him are distinguished by the fidelity of the depicted physiognomies, the transfer of an individual type, an expression of national pride and a sense of dignity. Nature is reflected in them, as in a mirror; there is not a shadow of any conventionality in them. So, behind Spinola's outward secular restraint, one can feel both the proud consciousness of victory and the nobility of his nature: he politely meets the defeated, paying tribute to the courage and unbroken spirit of the Dutch. Stepping heavily, with a bare head, he goes towards the victorious Nassau, it seems that he is ready to kneel, handing over the keys, and Spinola dismounted, took off his hat and, stretching his hand forward, did not allow the Dutchman to kneel. With the elegance of a true knight, he places his right hand on the Dutchman's shoulder, holding his hat and marshal's baton in his left. The Spaniard friendly welcomes the commandant. The Spaniard does not seem to notice that von Nassau is handing over the keys to him. It can be seen that Spinola is in every possible way concerned that his opponents should not feel the humiliation of the situation in the least; he treats von Nassau not as a defeated enemy, but, on the contrary, as a person who, in his unenviable position, cannot be denied sympathy. The movement of the Dutchman forms a distinct diagonal, thereby expressing his subordinate position, and the movements of the winner are full of courtesy and respect for the defeated, the Spaniard's face expresses ordinary human feelings - feelings of empathy and respect. Their postures and gestures are justified, natural. The Dutchman is excited and deeply experiencing the event, he appears somewhat defenseless in the image, this feeling is conveyed by a certain hunchback in front of the Spaniard and a detail: the hat is removed, but Spinola, as a sign of respect, also stands with his head uncovered. In what other historical canvas of the 17th century, depicting a military episode, can one hear so many more human sounds that touch the soul! It clearly sounds a peaceful note of human respect for the valor of the enemy. Peering into the features of two people, it becomes clear that it is the humanistic idea that distinguishes The Surrender of Breda from previous works on historical topics. This is something new that did not exist before Velasquez, this is his trait, by which you recognize his work, his work.

It cannot be said that the transfer of the keys to the Dutch fortress of Breda to the Spaniards is a semantic and central-geometric knot of the composition. The "key of the picture" - it is also the key in the material sense - is highlighted by a dark silhouette in a light polygon between the main figures playing the role of wings (an artistic technique of classicism) - the entire artistic space and the integrity of the canvas are tied to this transfer ceremony. Everything revolves around the key hanging in the center, as if it contains some kind of mystery, as if the further course of events will depend on what and how they do with it. The key turns into a kind of tuning fork of time. And this is also a sign of the New Age. The main meaning of what is happening is concentrated in this center, and the viewer pays attention primarily to it. And the attention of almost all the actors is drawn to what is happening in the center, which is emphasized by the aspect of lighting and aerial perspective. The "key" of the composition and movement of the figures links the left and right parts of the picture (warring armies) and at the same time creates the depth of space. The breadth of the idea is emphasized by the landscape, in which the reflections of the flames and the smoke of the fire merge with the silvery mist of a summer morning. And, looking at the landscape panorama unfolding behind the backs of people, you notice how the artist sketchily, without a thick overlay of colors, reproduces difficult and subtle effects, enhancing the spatiality of the image. The entire background is relegated to an immeasurable distance: only in some places are traces of the recent battle, the bastions of Breda shrouded in a light silvery fog, but Velasquez accurately conveys the signs of the area - he is the innovation of the painter, one feels how he wants to truthfully convey not only the event, but also the scene .

Velazquez strives for the most truthful transfer of characters, the master carefully peers into the faces of his opponents, his genuine interest in each person is felt. All “highlighted” faces are unique and at the same time similar to each other. The artist creates the most magnificent portraits of military leaders and ordinary soldiers, and you understand that personalities are growing in front of us, with their thoughts, dreams and hopes for the best, but Diego Velasquez does not imitate the baroque masters, does not seek to throw out a sea of feelings on the canvas - the artist conveys only natural, realistic movements of the souls and bodies of people located on different sides of the main action. And again in the picture there is a motive of equality, the denial of the superiority of one over the other. In addition to the striking portrait resemblance, there is a noticeable commonality that forms a kind of “body unity” of the Spanish army. In a completely natural way, it came out through a smooth transition from the middle plan to the foreground and filled the historical stage with itself. Spinola also took a step towards his army, stepping back from the front line of the historical ramp, and thereby gained physical, moral and spiritual unity with his soldiers. Velasquez skillfully used the antithesis technique at the level of the following categories: movement-rest, volume-flatness, warm-cold colors, giving preference to the Netherlands in some way, which betrays in the artist the gift of a seer who saw the future power of Holland. It is the defeated Justin de Nassau who is depicted in action - he is heavy and slow, but he advances, while Spinola is standing. The figures of the Dutch are voluminous and materially tangible, they actively advance thanks to the light and warm colors (accents of yellow-gold, white and green) and literally move into the real space of the viewer (the figure in yellow on the edge of the picture). In addition, they are psychologically active, which is expressed both in the individualization of each reaction to events, and in a direct appeal to the viewer (the look of a man with a musket in green). At the same time, the ranks of the Spanish army are deployed in depth, and, as it were, retreat from the picture plane, gradually flattening and merging with the planar graphics of the pattern of spears and the blueness of the sky. This impression is also facilitated by the visual "retreat" of the dark and refined cold tones of blue and pearl pink. Before our eyes, real people turn into the past of a fresco, the myth of spears recedes before the reality of a tightly tailored halberd and a musket that is completely ineffective only in appearance, victory turns into defeat.

And in terms of composition, this work is a vivid example of the art of the New Age, and it can be safely attributed to the out-of-body line.

The color stand of the picture.

The color scheme is sparingly, but extraordinarily rich: it is built on a few tones - black, yellow, pink and green - united by gray of different strength, intensity and shade, from dark gray to pearl, and these various gray spots tie the individual elements of the picture into a single compositional whole.

Let us note a peculiar “play” of tonal spots: the gaze goes from the dark armor of Spinola to the tail of the horse and further to the own shadow of the Dutch army.

Thanks to the rhythm of the lines, a smooth, lively movement is created, evoking the feeling that the artist managed to capture a brief moment, an episode from ordinary life.

It can be said without exaggeration that the work of Diego Velasquez is a true transfer of reality, which he masterfully embodied in The Surrender of Breda.

Bibliography

1.Alpatov M.V. "Hinted Legacy". Moscow: Education, 1990.

."Renaissance. Baroque. Classicism. Problems of Styles in Western European Art” Editor Viller. Moscow: Nauka, 1966

3."History of Foreign Art". Thought edited by M.T. Kuzmina, N.L. Maltseva, M.: 1980.

.José Ortega y Gasset "Introduction to Velázquez" Trans. from Spanish Lysenko E.S. Petrov M.:, 1991.