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VELÁZQUEZ, Diego Rodriguez de Silva y: The Surrender of Breda (Las Lanzas)

🖼 The Surrender of Breda (Las Lanzas), 1634-35
Oil on canvas
307 × 367 cm
Madrid, Spain

Golden light bathes a pivotal moment of military honor: the Dutch commander yields his keys to the Spanish general, surrounded by towering lances and dignified soldiers. Velázquez transforms defeat into mutual respect, reshaping how power and conquest are portrayed in European art.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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