Portrait of Mariana of Austria is a 1652–1653 oil-on-canvas painting by Diego Velázquez. Its subject, Doña Mariana, was the daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III and Maria Anna of Spain. Mariana had been betrothed to her first cousin, Prince Baltasar Carlos. She became queen consort on their marriage, and after her husband’s death in September 1665, regent during the minority of her son, Charles II.
About Portrait of Mariana of Austria in brief
Portrait of Mariana of Austria is a 1652–1653 oil-on-canvas painting by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age. Its subject, Doña Mariana, was the daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III and Maria Anna of Spain. Mariana had been betrothed to her first cousin, Prince Baltasar Carlos. He died in 1646 aged sixteen, and in 1649 she married her uncle, Baltasar’s father, Philip IV. She became queen consort on their marriage, and after her husband’s death in September 1665, regent during the minority of her son, Charles II, until he came of age in 1675. Owing to Charles’ inhibiting physical weaknesses, she dominated the political life in Spain until her death in 1696. Three full-length versions of the Portrait ofMariana ofAustria survive, as well as half-length variants. The version now in the Museo del Prado is known to be the original, having been in the Spanish royal collection since its completion. Its date is based on a matching description of a canvas sent to Ferdinand in Vienna on 15 December 1651.
The portrait is painted in shades of black and red, and her face is heavily made up. Her right hand rests on the back of a chair, and she holds a lace handkerchief in her left hand. Her bodice is decorated with jewellery, including a gold necklace, bracelets and a large gold brooch. A clock rests on scarlet drapery behind her, signifying her status and discernment. As an official court portrait, the painting adheres to every official court convention, with every attempt to convey a sense of majesty in Mariana’s extravagant taste. The paintings are marked by an emphasis on bright hues against dark backgrounds, extravagant head-dress, and fashionably wide dresses. The series culminates with the 1656 Las Meninas, which includes Mariana and, at center-stage, her daughter the Infanta Margarita Teresa. Miana had a difficult life. She was described as a \”ruddy-cheeked, naive girl who loved a good laugh\”, and her day-to-day courtly duties came to weigh heavily on her.
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