Queen María Cristina and her Daughter, Isabel II, reviewing the Artillery Batteries defending Madrid in 1837

Executed in oil on canvas, the work combines a muted palette of earthy browns and blacks for the military figures with brighter, more refined tones for the royal attire. Fortuny’s handling of light and texture reflects his Romantic sensibility, while the detailed rendering of uniforms and equipment reveals his interest in historicist genre and military realism.

Created over three decades after the events it depicts, the painting entered the Prado’s holdings as part of the museum’s 19th‑century Spanish collection. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s commitment to preserving works that document the nation’s recent political and military history.

The scene is set against the backdrop of the First Carlist War, when Madrid faced repeated artillery attacks. Fortuny, known for both Orientalist subjects and military scenes, chose this episode to illustrate the interplay between royal authority and the armed forces during a turbulent period in Spanish history.