Juan Prim, October 8, 1868 1868

Henri Regnault painted this dynamic portrait of Juan Prim on October 8, 1868. It captures the moment of Prim's triumphant return to Spain after the revolution that deposed Queen Isabella II. Regnault uses dramatic lighting and a high vantage point to emphasize Prim's authority. The dark horse rears against a backdrop of cheering crowds and revolutionary flags. The painting was made in Spain, a country with a strong tradition of equestrian portraiture, often used to convey power and nobility. Here, though, that tradition is put in service of a new, more popular kind of leader. Prim was a military man who became a symbol of progressive change and of a more democratic society. The visual impact of Regnault's image speaks to the ways in which revolutionary leaders sought to construct their public image. To understand the painting's significance, it's important to look at the historical context of the revolution, the visual rhetoric of the time, and the ways that Prim himself used imagery to promote his political agenda.