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This painting is both beautiful in appearance and enigmatic on account of its problems of attribution, its authorship having fluctuated between several artists, all belonging to the aesthetic environment of Michelangelo Merisi, Caravaggio. Indeed, although it is now definitely ascribed to Serodine, some critics still believe it to be the work of the latter. Its history can be traced back to 1647,
Born in El Escorial in 1609, don Fernando was the son of Philip III and Margarita de Austria, and thus Philip IV´s brother. As a result, he held very high posts. In 1619, he was appointed cardinal and between 1634 and his death in 1641, he was governor of Flanders, where he succeeded his aunt, the Archduchess Isabel Clara Eugenia. Generally dated around 1632-1634, in the years immediately followin
This painting illustrates a scene from Goethe´s Faust. Specifically, the moment when Margaret finds a jewelry box in her bedroom closet. Mephistopheles gave it to Faust as a tempting gift for his beloved. The young woman enjoys hanging a string of pearls around her neck and observing the beautiful results in the mirror. A spinning wheel is visible in the dark background. This work shows the influe
Depictions of painting galleries became popular in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 17th century. The exhibition of paintings and other artistic or natural objects was originally a way of manifesting the high social standing of an eminently bourgeois class with a strong desire to ennoble itself. In many cases, the paintings did not rigorously reflect the client’s collection, but served inst
Don Antonio Ugarte, a prominent member of the entourage of Ferdinand VII, and his wife, posed for the first painter to the king, with an evident penchant for ostentation. He is wearing the full-dress uniform of the king’s secretary, including the cane and hat resting on the table, and also boasts different badges of office and honours. She, dressed in Imperial garb and adorned with splendid jewels
A posthumous portrait of Felipe II wearing full body armor, a cape and a hat and riding a horse. Victory crowns him with laurels. The background alludes to a battle, probably that of San Quentín in 1557.Inspired by the knightly ideas of the sixteenth century, this portrait is based on representations of Roman emperors that circulated on Flemish and Italian prints, as well as an image of Car
Margaret of Austria married Philip III in 1599 after Philip II chose her from among the women of the Austria-Styria family. The marriage was planned to coincide with that of infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia and archduke Albert. Margaret was born in 1584 and when she arrived in Spain in April 1599, she had already been married by power of attorney in Ferrara. She was known for her discretion and virtue
In 1624, soon after Velázquez`s arrival at court, the political writer Almansa noted that the equestrian order was and is the backbone of republics. This notion was shared by the Spanish monarchy and lies at the origins of the enormous prestige which the equestrian portrait achieved at court. As a court portraitist, this sub-genre of portraiture is frequently to be encountered within Vel&aa
Margarita was born on 12 July 1651, the daughter of Philip IV and Mariana of Austria. On 12 December 1666, she married Emperor Leopold of Austria and died seven years later in Vienna. The fact that the princess is wearing mourning dress in this painting helps date it between September 1665 -when her father died- and her wedding in December 1666. Those dates suggest that the portrait was made in or
Of the equestrian portraits painted for the Hall of Realms, this is the only one with a declaration of authorship. The lower left corner has been a customary place throughout the history of painting for the artist´s signature, and here it bears a sheet of paper. And yet, contrary to our expectations, it is blank. This is the painter´s way of telling the viewer that the originality of his style and
This was one of the paintings decorating the Hall of Realms at Madrid´s Buen Retiro Palace, where various discourses (territorial, mythological, military, and so on) combined to make up the decoration. Genealogical matters were addressed through five portraits that respectively depicted the reigning monarch, Philip IV (P01178), his wife (P01179), their parents (the present work and P01177) and the
Sorolla was the most gifted Spanish painter of his generation, excelling in portraiture. In the early years of the twentieth century, and especially after the encouragement of winning the Grand Prize in the 1900 Exposition Universelle Paris, he demonstrated the influence of Velázquez through the use of long, confident brushstrokes. This portrait of María de Figueroa y Bermejillo -the
The king is portrayed in armour, beside a tent; the image is not particularly representative of the sitter, whose tastes tended more towards regal pomp and religious piety. The composition follows earlier traditions, though with certain features characteristic of Pantoja de la Cruz: a rather geometric rendering of the figure, an impassive, somewhat distant expression, and a fascination with the de
Margarita of Austria (1651-1673) was the daughter of Philip IV and Mariana of Austria. When Mazo painted her she was betrothed to the Emperor Leopold of Austria, whom she married in 1666. In this portrait Mazo`s treatment of the composition and colour reveal the influence of his father-in-law, Velázquez, to whom this work was formerly attributed. The fact that Velázquez was not respo
This emblematic picture is undoubtedly the best-known work on a social theme produced by Sorolla in his youth. It is also an especially good example of how fully the artist became involved in a genre which, at the time, was of particular relevance in Madrid’s official artistic circles, where Sorolla was determined to receive his first public recognition. The depth of its meaning is probably indica
A. E. Pérez Sánchez publicó en 1970 su fotografía y su identificación en los inventarios antiguos de El Escorial (Madrid 1970a). En la actualidad, el formato de la obra aparece alterado en todos sus lados, principalmente por mutilaciones en la parte baja y el lado izquierdo; hasta su reciente restauración presentaba un aspecto muy desvirtuado. Hasta ese momento no se había apreciado la costura en
Bartolomé González prolongó los usos del retrato de corte del siglo XVI durante el reinado de Felipe III y Margarita de Austria, aunque a través de una pincelada prieta, un colorido frio y una iluminación potente que le diferencian de la producción de su principal maestro, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (h. 1553-1608). La reina aparece ricamente vestida con saya de ormesí plateado, bordada de pardo y ade
Bartolomé González continued to make use of the tradition of sixteenth-century court portraiture during the reign of Philip III and Margaret of Austria. However, the tight handling, cool palette and strong lighting distinguish his style from that of the leading court portraitist, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (c. 1553-1608). Richly dressed, the Queen rests her hand on the head of her dog,
