[The Armor of Philip III]

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For a sixteenth-century nobleman, a finely decorated suit of armor was indispensable. The suit defined one's social standing, confirmed the refinement of one's taste, and made it publicly clear that the bearer was the nominal head of an army.This striking photograph was previously believed to be a work by Charles Clifford, the official photographer to Queen Isabella II and the greatest photographer practicing in Spain in the mid-nineteenth century. It is now known to be a photograph made after his death by an equally accomplished artist, his wife Jane Clifford. Likewise, the subject was originally recorded, in period hand on this print's mount, as the armor of Christopher Columbus. In fact, the suit dates from a different historical period; it was a gift from the city of Pamplona to Philip III (1578-1621), King of Spain and Portugal from 1598 until his death. Although we do not yet know for what purpose Jane Clifford documented the highlights in the collection of the Armería Real (the Royal Armory in Madrid), it is clear that the heavy cavalry armor, with its marvelous bands of decoration encrusted with gold and silver, is a sight to behold. If the helmet looks peculiar it is because part of the gated inner visor is not fully lowered.

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