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Charles III, 1716-1788
In 1779, Charles III, the king of Spain, made a formal strategic alliance with France and declared war on England. In engaging the British militarily, Charles was in effect aiding the American quest for independence, despite his fear that the revolution might spread to his own American colonies. His goal was to remove the British from the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. Under the leadership of General Bernando de Galvez, Spanish forces were successful in expelling the British from this territory.
This earlier print shows Charles surrounded by the ancient treasures of Herculaneum, the ruins of which were excavated during his reign. Charles was interested both in the wonders of the past and the present welfare of his subjects. He modernized Madrid and severely curbed the power of the Inquisition. The Spanish domain in North America reached its greatest extend under Charles's rule.
Filippo Morghen, after Camillo Paderni, c 1760 |