Prado unveils David Noveliers' 'Procession of Giants' acquired in 2024

The Museo Nacional del Prado has put on display 'The Procession of Giants in Brussels on May 31, 1615' by Flemish painter David Noveliers, acquired by Spain's Ministry of Culture in 2024. The painting, executed in 1616, is now exhibited in Room 80 alongside three other works from the same series, all reframed with new frames inspired by 17th-century Flemish models. The series was commissioned by Archdukes Isabella Clara Eugenia and Albert of Austria, sovereigns of the Spanish Netherlands, to commemorate festivities held in Brussels in May 1615. Originally comprising eight large canvases, only six survive; two are at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and two remain lost. The paintings document the Ommegang, a medieval procession that includes a crossbow competition and a religious ceremony at the Church of Our Lady of the Sablon. Since 2019, UNESCO has recognized these processions as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The new frames, made of pine wood with black polish and 22-karat gold, evoke 17th-century Netherlandish typology and harmonize the four works. The series was sent to King Philip III of Spain around 1618 and was inventoried at the Royal Palace of Madrid in 1636. Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II, was a major patron of the arts who commissioned works from Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder. The Prado's presentation underscores the museum's commitment to research and conservation of its Flemish collection.