Queen Maria Cristina reviewing the troops 

Mariano Fortuny Marsal painted "Queen Maria Cristina reviewing the troops", though the date is unknown. Fortuny, who lived between 1838 and 1874, captured in oil on canvas what might at first glance seem like a straightforward military scene, but on closer inspection, it reflects the turbulent politics of 19th-century Spain. The painting depicts Queen Maria Cristina, the fourth wife and widow of King Ferdinand VII, reviewing troops, and the scene is infused with the dynamics of gender, power, and national identity. As a woman in a position of authority, Maria Cristina navigated a complex political landscape, ruling as regent for her young daughter Isabella. Fortuny's decision to portray her in this powerful role, reviewing troops, challenges conventional representations of women as passive figures. It’s as if Fortuny asks us to consider: Who holds power, who enacts power and what are the images of power?