Portrait of Charles II, King of Spain, as a child (1661 -1700)

Spain, c. 1670

Oil on canvas

68 x 49 cm.

In antique frame 96 x 75 cm.

Analysis of this portrait, and in particular the style used to delineate its features, takes us back to the great tradition of the 17th century Spanish school.

The portrait depicts the young King Charles II of Spain, dressed in typical Spanish fashion, the youngest and only son of Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Maria Anna of Austria, as well as the last of the Habsburg dynasty to rule Spain.

The work is a copy of the large painting, now in the English Royal Collection, which portrays the young ruler full length at the age of four (dated 1665), dressed in a black suit and cape, and a large feathered hat, presumably shortly after the death of his father Philip IV, to celebrate the young man's accession to the throne and his proclamation as King of Spain. (see detailed photo)

URL: https://www.rct.uk/collection/404964/carlos-ii-king-of-spain-as-a-child-1661-1700

He holds a sceptre in his left hand and wears the Order of the Golden Fleece, while a silver-adorned sword hilt is visible from his left cuff, adding to the formality and solemnity of the portrait.

The original composition, as well as the proposed one, initially attributed to Veleasquez (Seville 1599 - Madrid 1660), was later attributed to the paintings of his son-in-law Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, a pupil of Velázquez, and then his collaborator for almost three decades, in the production of court portraits.

The long period of close association enabled him to fully assimilate the style of his master, creating compositions that strongly reveal his direct influence. After Velázquez's death in 1660, Mazo succeeded his father-in-law as court painter to Philip IV of Spain, then to Charles II until his death in 1667.

Our canvas is a replica of the large painting in the Royal Collection, made by Mazo himself in a smaller format, depicting the king in half length, presumably as a gift for a representative occasion.

Several other similar versions of the composition are known; an anonymous work in the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, in which the child king holds a globe and a sceptre but which is otherwise close to the painting in the Royal Collection and another anonymous version in the Prado Museum (P002534). In the latter, the lying lion is missing and a dog has been added.

Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo (1610/15-1667) - Carlos II, King of Spain as a Child (1661-1700) c.1665-1667 - Royal Collection Trust - London

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic description.

It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you and show you our collection of works.

Please feel free to contact us for any additional information.

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