Manuela Isidra Téllez-Girón, future Duchess of Abrantes
1797. Oil on canvas. Not on displayHere Esteve combines the influence of Velázquez’s use of indefinite spaces with Murillo’s grace and chromatic harmony and Goya’s loose, precise technique. Considered the artist’s finest portrait, this image is notable both for its expressivity and the artist’s ability to depict the transparency of the dress, a type of light garment recommended by late 18th-century doctors as appropriate wear for children at home.