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
Michiel van Breda Michiel van Breda Michiel van Breda, a South African, was a Merino farmer, founder of Bredasdorp, Mayor of Cape Town and a South African Freemason. Van Breda was born on 12 August 1775 in Cape Town. His parents were Pieter van Breda and Catharina Sophia Myburg. He married three times. Out of his marriages with Gesina van Reenen, Beatrix Elizabeth Lategan and Maria Adriana Smalberger he became the father of nine children. He died in Cape Town on 12 August 1847. In 1817 van Breda was farming on Zoetendals Vallei farm in the region which is today called Overberg. He