The painter Velázquez followed the king into a war zone

The painter Diego Velázquez accompanied King Philip IV to Aragon between 1642 and 1646 during the campaign against the rebellious Catalans. This obligation linked to his position as chamberlain led him to paint a military portrait of the monarch in the city of Fraga in 1644. This canvas was immediately sent to Madrid and exhibited publicly at the request of the Catalans of the court.