This portrait of a young Charles III is typical of Ranc´s portraits of children. It shows the future monarch as an Infante, years before his departure for Parma and Naples to occupy thrones his mother had assiduously arranged for him. Four other examples of this portrait are found in the Prado, Palace of El Pardo, Royal Palace of Madrid and the Royal Palace of La Granja. They demonstrate the system by which copies of an original painting were rigorously carried out, sometimes by the same artist, to satisfy monarchs´s frequent requests that portraits be duplicated and sent to public institutions or foreign courts. For a fixed commission, the painter would execute a portrait, to be reproduced as necessary. Here, the concept of a court portrait shines in all its splendor: symbolic, artificial, but not charmless. Childish sweetness contrasts with helmet, sword, column and curtains. All appear wrapped in the capricious yet calculated folds of cloth surrounding the youth. The Fleece and the Holy Spirit, and the lacework, lend an aura of wealth. Curiously, this canvas is more sober than its companions. A certain lack of details indicates that it was not finished. Yet the face, gazing directly at the viewer, conveys personality-illustrating Ranc´s ability to reflect individual feeling in each of his portraits. Charles III was born on January 20, 1716; judging from his apparent age here, this portrait may be set from 1724-1726 (Text drawn from Luna Fernández, Juan J., The Majesty of Spain, Jackson, Mississippi, 2001, p. 50).

The Majesty of Spain. Royal Collections From the Museo del P, Jackson, Mississipi Commission For Internati, 2001, p.50