He painted it during the years 1634 and 1635, inspired by his visit to Italy with Ambrogio Spinola, the Genoese-born Spanish general who conquered Breda on June 5, 1625.

Velázquez composed The Surrender of Breda into two halves, which included the Dutch leader Justinus van Nassau and the Spanish Genoese general Spinola.

This war began due to a revolt against Philip II of Spain by the Seventeen Provinces, which today includes the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

[3] The painting presents the Spanish as a strong force, while including both sides of the battle and depicting facial expressions of fatigue that reflect the reality of war.

The focus of the composition is in the foreground, where the exchange of the keys is shown in the very front, and in the background, the smoky sky shows evidence of destruction and death.

José Ortega y Gasset described these lances as "the backbone of the entire picture and largely responsible for the impression of calm permeating this essentially lively scene.

[11] Spinola, the Genoese general, commanded the Spanish tercios, which included pikemen, swordsmen, and musketeers as displayed in the painting.

These pigments included lead white with calcite, azurite mixed with small amounts of charcoal black, ochres and vermilion.

Despite differences in style between the two Baroque artists, Rubens' prior works such as The Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob, produced in 1624, has resemblance in terms of its composition and philosophical concepts.

Thie painting is notable for its static and sentimental qualities, as Velázquez left out the blood and gore that would normally be linked to the violence of such battles.

[24] The motion picture Alatriste, a 2006 Spanish epic historical fiction war film directed by Agustín Díaz Yanes, contains a scene showing the surrender of Breda as the basis for the painting.