José Casado del Alisal: The Bell of Huesca (1880)

(Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain)

A painting by the Spanish artist José Casado del Alisal (1830/32-1886). This piece shows a Spanish legend. According to the story king Ramiro II of Aragon (1086-1157) had problems with his nobles who had hoped the king would be easy to control. Ramiro sought advice of his former tutor, the abbot of the monastery of San Ponce de Tomeras and send a messenger The abbot took the messenger to the garden where the abbot cut the cabbages (or roses in a different version) that stood out above the others. The abbot ordered the messenger to tell the king to repeat the gesture he had seen here. Ramiro called all of his nobles to the city of Huesca with the excuse that he wanted to make a bell that would be heard throughout the entire kingdom. When all the nobles had gathered, Ramiro ordered the execution of the nobles which stood out above the others and with that Ramiro had crushed the rebellion. The painting shows king Ramiro on the left with a large black dog and the heads of 13 rebellious nobles. On the right are the shocked remaining Aragonese nobles. Painting from 1880