3-098-573 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

View of the gardens of the Casa de Campo with the statue of Philip III, c1634. The view shows part of the main garden of the Casa de Campo, laid out by Jerónimo de Algora, with trees, poplars from Aranjuez and the equestrian statue of Philip III, in gilded bronze and with a fine carved marble pedestal, begun by Giovanni de Bolonia (Giambologna) and finished by Pietro Tacca, and placed here in 1617. This country house, near the Alcázar, was acquired by Philip II in 1560 or 1561 for hunting purposes, to create a royal forest in its surroundings, and to develop a program of gardens and cultivated nature in the Renaissance style. Philip II, concerned with nature and a great lover of plants and flowers, endowed this residence and the other royal properties with gardens inspired by Flemish and French models. Philip III embellished these gardens with new fountains, a water clock, plants brought from Flanders, and the placement of his statue, an event that may have inspired this painting.