Spanish school; late 19th century. "Philip II... Lot 49

Spanish school; late 19th century. "Philip II at the Escorial. Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents restorations. Measurements: 141 x 172 cm. Scene of historicist character in which we can appreciate Philip II, unmistakable with his black dress, and his court composed of several lackeys and religious characters. Situated in a gallery, the architectural arcade of the gallery gives a glimpse of the imposing architecture of "El Escorial" in the background. The scene, which is based on a realistic aesthetic language and a truthful theme, is an invention that tries to exalt the values of the past from a completely idealised and anachronistic perspective. The historical theme of the painting is set in a glorious past related to the history of the painter's country, Spain, and can be related to the pictorial Historicism of the 19th century, the main trend at the time, linked to the Academies of Fine Arts. The term "historicism" (Historismus) was coined by the German philosopher Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel. Over time, what historicism is and how it is practised has taken on different and divergent meanings. Elements of historicism appear in the writings of the French essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) and the Italian philosopher GB Vico (1668-1744), and were more fully developed with the dialectics of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), influential in nineteenth-century Europe.