Studio of Sir Peter Paul Rubens Siegen 1577 - 1640 Antwerp

Baron Robert Gendebien, bears his stamp on the reverse;
Thence by descent. 

The actual painting is a bit warmer in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The painting has a relining. Stretcher marks are slightly visible to the front. The paint surface has flattened somewhat due to the relining and abrasion is visible in the sitter's hair and in the back of the lace collar, otherwise the paint surface is in stable condition, no damages are visible to the front. The paint surface is under a dense and irregular craquelure pattern, the varnish is transparent but slightly yellowed. A few spots of retouching are visible along the top edge and to the centre right as well. Inspection under UV-light confirms the aforesaid and reveals a few scattered spots in his hair and face; a few retouchings in the lower half of the painting, e.g. in his left hand and sable and on the lower part of the cuirass. The varnish has been unevenly cleaned. Offered in a gilt wood frame, in good condition. (JD)
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Ambrogio Spinola, Marquis of Los Balbases (1569-1630) held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish armies under Albert and Isabella. Born in Genua, into the wealthy and influential family of Spinola, he was intended for a military career. Together with his brother Frederico, he sought his fortune in the Spanish army and was sent to Flanders for land service. His first success, the capture of Ostend after a year-long siege, lead to his appointment of commander-in-chief. During his military campaigns in Flanders, Spinola built up a reputation by the number of cities he took after an extensive siege, which was the common practise of warfare during the Eighty Years War. In 1625, Spinola recaptured the city of Breda, a feat of arms Spinola is most remembered for. This important event was immortalized by Velazquez's famous Surrender of Breda painted in 1643-35 (Madrid, Prado Museum) in which Spinola features as the main protagonist. His portrait was painted posthumously for Spinola returned to Italy in 1629 where he passed away the year after. Bankrupted and disgraced by his political enemies in Madrid, he died at the siege of Casale, North Italy, during the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628-1631).

Several authentic portraits of General Spinola by Rubens are known, the one on panel in the National Gallery in Praque, and showing Spinola in full armour, is likely to have been painted for the sitter himself, probably soon after his victory at Breda.¹ The prototype for the present picture is most likely the one in the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Brunswick, which shows the sitter in the same cuirass without arms over a white doublet with gold embroidery.²


1. H. Vlieghe, Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard, Part XIX, vol. II, Rubens portraits: Identified sitters painted in Antwerp, London 1987, pp. 183-88, esp. p. 184, no. 148, reproduced fig. 215.
2. Idem, pp. 185-86, no. 149, reproduced fig. 216.