TIEPOLO, Giovanni Battista
(b. 1696, Venezia, d. 1770, Madrid)

Glory of Spain (detail)

1762-66
Fresco, 2700 x 1000 cm
Throne Room, Palacio Real, Madrid

The loading of a European ship with the treasures of the American continent is depicted in a direct allusion to the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and to the Spanish conquest of the New World in the l6th century. The two Red Indians in the foreground, who throw themselves to the ground in front of the ship, symbolize the Europeans' victory over the natives.




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