The Surrender of Breda on his military honor, he soon after sank with gloomy thoughts into the grave.” Velázquez felt discouraged after Ambrogio Spinola’s death and sought to legitimize Spinola, whose success and bravery in the battle inspired Velázquez to paint "The Surrender of Breda". "The Surrender of Breda" was one of twelve life-size battle scenes intended to perpetuate victories won by Philip IV’s armies that hung in the Salón de Reinos in Buen Retiro. It illustrates the exchange of keys that occurred three days after the capitulation between Spain and the Netherlands was signed on June 5, 1625. Hence, the focus of the
Siege of Breda (1624) Coloma. Because of the vastness of Breda, Spinola had his troops divided into four compartments. The four subjects with commanders were: The siege of 1624–1625 is the subject of the 1998 novel "El sol de Breda" ("The Sun Over Breda") by the Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte, as part of the "Captain Alatriste" series. The events of the siege – including both the gruelling fighting with the Dutch and the infighting among the Spanish, including a major mutiny by unpaid Spanish troops – are depicted from the point of view of a boy serving with the Spanish forces. The realistic depiction