BBVA Collection makes a major contribution to the exhibition Sabatini’s Madrid with the loan of one of its most prized holdings, Charles III of Spain in Hunting Costume, painted by Goya in 1787-1788. Readily evincing the artist’s consummate technical mastery, this composition is an excellent example of one of the models Goya used to portray the king: in hunting costume with a dog sleeping at his feet. Particularly worth noting is the naturalness with which he treats the king’s face and the skilful recreation of the light as evening sets in the Guadarrama sierra.

The exhibition, presided over by this portrait of the king, is part of a wide programme of events organized in 2021 to commemorate the tercentennial of Francisco Sabatini’s birth, underscoring his significant role in the development of Madrid under the reigns of Charles III and Charles IV. The project focuses on his achievements from a novel viewpoint, bringing together a series of works and old publications from public and private collections, technical plans, elevations and maps as well as contemporary audiovisual material recreating some emblematic buildings that no longer exist, giving an account of the changes the city underwent under the direction of this extraordinary architect. The works on view provide a complete historical, political and cultural overview of the period and underline Sabatini’s role in the growth and regeneration of the city, highlighting his contribution to the transformation of royal buildings.

King Charles III played a critical role in this ambitious endeavour. After reigning as King of Naples and Sicily for over twenty-five years, he decided to commission the Italian architect to apply to Madrid the same city planning principles he had implemented in Italy. The king wished to turn the Spanish capital into a major European city on a par with the other great metropolises of the time.