Diego Felipe de Guzmán (1582–1655), 1st Marquis of Leganés, was the son of Diego Velázquez Dávila and Leonor de Guzmán. It is unknown how long he spent in Spain receiving his education, but it is likely that at the age of fifteen he traveled with the Archdukes' entourage to Flanders. In fact, in 1605 he is mentioned as a gentleman of the chamber of Archduke Albert (Arroyo, 2002). He took part in the war against the rebellious Dutch provinces, in the battles of the Dunes of Nieuwport and in the siege of Ostend (Pérez, 2009). When the Archduke was wounded in the Battle of the Dunes, it was the young Diego Felipe de Guzmán who came to his aid, an act that led to his rapid rise.
In 1611, he traveled to Italy and met Cardinal Borghese, known as one of the great patrons of the arts in 17th-century Rome. During this trip, he was able to see the work of numerous Italian artists firsthand, which influenced his later taste in collecting (Volk, 1990; Pérez, 2009). However, he did not only visit the Eternal City, but also Mantua, where he came into contact with the Gonzaga family and their collection.
This trip had a profound effect on the Marquis of Leganés, who acquired a large number of pieces over time (López, 1962; Pérez, 2009). In 1642, it is estimated that he had more than 1,200 works (Poleró, 1898; Volk, 1990), including Rubens' Immaculate Conception (Prado National Museum, Madrid), several hunting scenes by Paul de Vos (Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels), and Old Woman Pulling Her Hair by the circle of Jann Massys (Prado National Museum, Madrid). In addition to these artists, his collection also included paintings by Guido Reni, José de Ribera, Velázquez, and Bronzino, among others. His collection remained virtually intact until 1711, when the third Marquis of Leganés died without issue. From that moment on, the works became part of the collection of the Counts of Altamira.
Bibliography
ARROYO MARTÍN, Francisco (2002): "El marqués de Leganés. Apuntes biográficos", nº 15, Espacio, Tiempo y Forma, pp. 145-165.
DÍAZ PADRÓN, Matías (2008): "Dos pinturas de David Rijkaert III identificadas en la colección del marqués de Leganés: La anunciación y la Adoración de los Reyes", nº 321, Archivo Español de Arte, pp. 81-83.
DÍAZ PADRÓN, Matías (1967): "Un nuevo Rubens en el Museo del Prado: La Inmaculada del Marqués de Leganés", nº 157, Archivo Español de Arte, pp. 1-13.
LÓPEZ NAVÍO, José Luis (1962): "La gran colección de pinturas del marqués de Leganés", nº 8, Analecta Calsanctiana, pp. 259-330.
POLERÓ, Vicente (1898): "Colección de pinturas que reunió en su palacio el marqués de Leganés don Diego Felipe de Guzmán (siglo XVII)", nº 6, Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Excursiones, pp. 122-134.
VOLK, Mary Crawford (1980): "New Light on a Seventeenth Century Collector: The Marquis of Leganés", vol. 62, The Art Bulletin, pp. 256-268.
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It hosted this work in the past [Second quarter of the XVIIth c. - Mid XVIIc.]