John of Austria (copy)
XIX century. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
This is a copy of the original portrait, which is attributed to Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (around 1553–1608) (P001148). It belonged the museum´s collections until 1943, when it was transferred to the Royal Site of El Escorial. This is one of the few surviving images of the biological son of Charles V with the German Barbara Blomberg. He is the half-brother of Philip II and one of the great masterminds of the victory of Lepanto. The General and Strategist is elegantly dressed and wears the badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece on his chest. A lion rests at his feet. Ramón de Salvatierra created another copy of the painting in 1854, which remains at the Museo Naval in Madrid.
Enciclopedia del Museo del Prado, Madrid, Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, 2006, p.1303
