{"id":119954,"date":"2026-09-02T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/?p=119954"},"modified":"2026-09-02T11:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T09:33:52","slug":"king-portrait-upside-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/king-portrait-upside-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Why One Spanish Museum Hangs a King\u2019s Portrait Upside Down"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-6::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-6{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-7::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-7{display:block;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Inside the Museum of Fine Arts in X&agrave;tiva, Spain, one royal portrait looks very different from the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">King Philip V appears in full court dress, surrounded by the usual signs of authority. But the entire canvas hangs upside down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">It isn&rsquo;t a mistake, and the artist didn&rsquo;t paint it that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reason goes back to a war that ended with the destruction of a city. The act of revenge came more than two centuries later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. He&rsquo;s the Only King Hanging Upside Down<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119996 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/upside-down-king.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The portrait occupies a prominent place in the museum&rsquo;s collection of royal paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Philip is shown standing in an elaborate coat, with one arm extended toward a battle scene in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Turned the right way up, it would look like a fairly conventional image of an eighteenth-century monarch. Hanging upside down, it&rsquo;s another story entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The museum is located in the Casa de l&rsquo;Ensenyan&ccedil;a, a former school building in the historic center of X&agrave;tiva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Some people often place the portrait in the nearby L&rsquo;Almod&iacute; Museum. That isn&rsquo;t exactly wrong&mdash;it was displayed there before the city&rsquo;s fine arts collection moved to its current home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The unusual display has made the painting far better known than its artistic quality probably would have managed on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Spain Was Left Without a Clear Heir<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119997 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crown-document-seal.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The story begins in 1700, when King Charles II of Spain died without children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Charles had named Philip of Anjou as his successor. Philip was a grandson of the French king Louis XIV, and he took the Spanish throne as Philip V.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">He became the first Bourbon king of Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">That choice worried several European powers. A close connection between the French and Spanish crowns could shift the balance of power across Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">A rival claim soon formed around Archduke Charles of Austria, a member of the Habsburg family that had ruled Spain before Philip. What followed was the War of the Spanish Succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a European conflict, but it also became a civil war inside Spain. Different regions backed different claimants, and the choice could carry serious consequences once one side took control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. X&agrave;tiva Backed Philip&rsquo;s Rival<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119999 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/closing-city-gate.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">X&agrave;tiva, in the Kingdom of Valencia, supported Archduke Charles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">For many people in the territories of the old Crown of Aragon, the Habsburg claim seemed more likely to protect their traditional laws and political arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Philip&rsquo;s Bourbon rule looked more centralized. His French background also created plenty of suspicion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Local politics were more complicated than a simple city-wide decision. Different social groups had their own reasons for choosing sides. Still, X&agrave;tiva became firmly associated with the Habsburg cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">That placed the city in a dangerous position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">X&agrave;tiva was fortified and strategically important. It also refused to surrender easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the Bourbon army gained the advantage in the region, the city wasn&rsquo;t likely to receive gentle treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. The Defeat at Almansa Left the City Exposed<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119998 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-4\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/almansa-painting-battlefield.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">On April 25, 1707, Bourbon forces defeated the allied Habsburg army at the Battle of Almansa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The victory opened the way into Valencia. X&agrave;tiva remained one of the places still resisting, so troops under the French commander Claude Fran&ccedil;ois Bidal d&rsquo;Asfeld moved against it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The city held out through a siege, but Bourbon artillery eventually broke through its defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">X&agrave;tiva was captured in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The punishment, however, went well beyond an ordinary military occupation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Under Philip V&rsquo;s authority, residents were expelled and much of the city was burned. The destruction also worked as a warning to other towns that might continue resisting Bourbon rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Even the city&rsquo;s name was taken from it. X&agrave;tiva became San Felipe, also recorded more formally as Colonia Nueva de San Felipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The old name eventually returned, but the events of 1707 never really left the city&rsquo;s identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Then X&agrave;tiva Commissioned His Portrait<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120000 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-5\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oil-painting-art.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">This is the part of the story that can seem confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">A city destroyed under Philip&rsquo;s authority somehow ended up owning a large portrait of him. And the painting wasn&rsquo;t captured or donated years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The city council commissioned it around 1719.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">By then, the political situation had changed. Philip had won the Spanish throne, and a Bourbon-aligned administration was running the renamed city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">A royal portrait in the city hall showed loyalty to the ruling monarch and the new political order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Local painter Josep Amor&oacute;s produced the work. He also painted other members of the royal family for the municipal collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Philip appears in formal court clothing, gesturing toward the Battle of Almansa in the background. The image presents him as the man behind the victory that had decided X&agrave;tiva&rsquo;s fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For generations, though, the portrait hung upright. Whatever local residents thought of the king, the painting itself remained a normal piece of royal display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. A Curator Finally Turned Philip Upside Down<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120001 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/curator-portrait-frame.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">That changed in the mid-1950s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Carlos Sarthou Carreres, the municipal museum&rsquo;s director and curator, decided to hang Philip&rsquo;s portrait headfirst. Most detailed accounts date the act to 1956, although some sources place it a little later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Sarthou was born in Vila-real, another Valencian city damaged by Bourbon troops. He had also developed a close connection with X&agrave;tiva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Turning the canvas was his symbolic response to what had happened to both places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">So the famous display wasn&rsquo;t an angry gesture made just after the city burned. More than two hundred years separated the destruction from the moment the frame was inverted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distance is part of what makes the act so interesting. Sarthou took a conventional portrait created to honor royal power and changed its meaning without touching the paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. The Portrait Has Never Been Turned Back<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120002 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xativa-portrait-king.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The upside-down king eventually became one of X&agrave;tiva&rsquo;s best-known images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">There have been occasional suggestions that the portrait might be returned to its normal position, sometimes tied to the idea of a royal apology. But those proposals have gone nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Today, the painting is usually understood as a local act of memory rather than a serious attempt to punish a man who died centuries ago. It keeps the destruction of 1707 visible in a very simple way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The display also shows how a museum can change the meaning of an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Amor&oacute;s painted a respectful royal portrait. Sarthou turned the same canvas into a public insult, and he did it without adding a single mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Visitors now find Philip V in a room devoted to Spanish art at X&agrave;tiva&rsquo;s Museum of Fine Arts. The frame is ornate, and the king is formally dressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The canvas is still upside down.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside the Museum of Fine Arts in X&agrave;tiva, Spain, one royal portrait looks very different from the rest. King Philip V appears in full court &hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":119995,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"syndication_tool_enabled":true,"syndication_tool_title":"","syndication_tool_excerpt":"","syndication_tool_featured_image":0,"syndication_tool_publish_date":"","syndication_tool_schema_types":["article"],"syndication_tool_backlink_enable":false,"syndication_tool_ai_disclosure_enable":false,"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[208],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119954"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121980,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119954\/revisions\/121980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}