Musket-Proof Half Armor of King Philip III (Media Armadura a Prueba de Mosquete del Rey Felipe III)

Photography and Media

c. 1868

Juan (Jean) Laurent
French, active in Spain, 1816–1886

Jean (known in Spain as Juan) Laurent was one of the most recognized photographers of 19th-century Spain. He developed a thriving portrait business, documented Spanish public works projects, and produced an encyclopedic survey of Spanish and Portuguese architecture. In the mid-1860s, Laurent was permitted to photograph in the Royal Armory of Madrid, which housed rare personal arms and armor of monarchs from the 15th century onward. He released a catalogue detailing 187 different images from the collection, including this image of half-armor bearing the insignia of King Philip III. Set against a stark black background, the suit of armor seems to hover as if waiting for its wearer.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Photography and Media

Artist: Juan Laurent
Title: Musket-Proof Half Armor of King Philip III (Media Armadura a Prueba de Mosquete del Rey Felipe III)
Place: France (Artist's nationality)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Made 1863–1873
Medium: Albumen print
Dimensions: Image/paper: 34.6 × 25.1 cm (13 5/8 × 9 15/16 in.); Mount: 49 × 38 cm (19 5/16 × 15 in.)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by John A. Bross in memory of E. B. Smith
Reference Number: 2006.315
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/188838/manifest.json

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.