The fame of Giordano had already reached Madrid, when Don Cristobal de
Ontañon, a favorite courtier of Charles II., returning from Italy, full
of admiration for Giordano and his works, so sounded his praises in the
royal ear, that the King invited him to his court, paying the expense of
his journey, and giving him a gratuity of 1500 ducats, and appointing
him his principal painter, with a salary of 200 crowns a month.
The painter embarked from Naples on board one of the royal galleys,
accompanied by his son Nicolo, a nephew named Baldassare Valente, and
two scholars, Aniello Rossi and Matteo Pacelli, attended by three
servants. Landing at Barcelona, and resting there a few days, he
proceeded to Madrid, where he arrived in May 1692. Six of the royal
coaches were sent to meet him on the road, and conduct him to the house
of his friend Ontañon. On the day of his arrival, by the desire of the
King, he was carried to the Alcaza and presented to his Majesty. Charles
received him with great kindness, inquired how he had borne the fatigues
of his journey, and expressed his joy at finding him much younger in
appearance than he had been taught to expect. The painter, with his
usual courtly tact, replied, that the journey he had undertaken to
enter the service of so great a monarch, had revived his youth, and
that in the presence of his Majesty, he felt as if he were twenty again.
"Then," said Charles smiling, "you are not too weary to pay a visit to
my gallery," and led him through the noble halls of Philip II., rich
with the finest pictures of Italy and Spain. It was probably on this
occasion, that Giordano, passing before Velasquez's celebrated picture
of the Infanta and her meniñas, bestowed on it the well known name of
the _Theology of Painting_. The King, who paid the painter the
extraordinary honor to embrace him when first presented, gave him a
still greater mark of his favor at parting, by kissing him on the
forehead, and presenting him with the golden key as gentleman of the
royal bed-chamber.