On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P00646
- Author
- Carreño de Miranda, Juan (Spanish)
- Title
- Eugenia Martínez Vallejo, “The Monster”, dressed.
- Chronology
- Ca. 1680
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 165 cm x 107 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- COLECCION REAL
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
This work is an example of the
Baroque taste for representations
of freaks of nature and the
attraction of people with some of
physical or psychological anomaly.
Here it takes the form of a
depiction of a girl of
extraordinary size, probably due to
a hormonal imbalance. Eugenia
Martínez was taken to the court in
1680 and her portrait was painted
there by Juan Carreño at the direct
order of King Carlos II.
The painter depicted her dressed,
but also nude, in a companion
painting (P2800). In the present
work, her deformity is emphasized
by the magnificent flowered red
dress that drapes over the huge
size of her girl's body. Its color
makes the nudity of the companion
work all the more explicit. The
placement of the model over a
neutral background follows the
tradition of Spanish court
portraiture.
Location on the map
