ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

History, literature and art in the Spanish Golden Century 33The notice of the victory had been received with great joy by the peopleof Madrid and by pope Urban VIII, who congratulated Spínola on washing hishands in the heretic’s blood 7 .In November 1625, a play written by Calderón de la Barca wasperformed at Madrid, based on the surrender of Breda. The author puts inSpínola’s mouth the words that were to remain famous: “The value of theconquered ones is what makes the winner famous”. Velázquez must have seenthe play and, nine years later, after many studies, he forged a historic painting.On huge canvas, the battle field appears, full of smoke, clouds and blur.On each side of the painting, there are nine figures: the Dutch on the left, and theSpanish, on the right. The group of the defeated ones is achieved with a biggervariety of light and color. The Spanish are more elegant and sophisticated.Among the multitude of figures, each one of them individualized by theway it was painted, it is believed that the figure of the painter also appears on thecanvas. One of the most important elements of the painting are the 28 lances,only four of them being bent. The lances of Velázquez’s painting are a nationalsymbol, as they were the characteristic weapon of the Spanish tercios, “anobsession for the Spanish, both positive and negative. They sustained theempire, but, at the same time, they cost a great deal of money, much more thanthe country could spend” 8 .7 Norbert Wolf, Diego Velázquez 1599-1660. The face of Spain, Taschen, 1999, p. 50.8 José Ortega y Gasset, op. cit., p. 282.