Franz Xaver Winterhalter: Florinda (1853)

(Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA)

A painting by the German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873). This piece shows an episode from the Spanish legend of the Visigothic king Roderick (died between A.D. 711-712), the last Visigothic king of Spain. According to the story king Roderick was spying on his maids of honor to determine the fairest among them. Roderick chose Florinda la Cava (at center left) as the object of his love. The father of Florinda, count Julian of Ceuta, was furious about this and invited the Arabs into Spain, starting the Umayyad conquest of Spain. Painting from 1853.