Queen Margaret of Spain

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Margaret of Austria, wife of King Philip III of Spain, stands resplendently dressed, her royal authority conveyed through the portrait’s formality as well as her sumptuous attire. She is bedecked with jewels: Her brocade skirt is held closed with decorative clasps called puntas; large pearls and gemstones adorn her chest, waist, and arms. The rigidity and painstaking detail of portraits of the Spanish royal family were traditional for paintings that were frequently copied to serve as diplomatic gifts. This painting is a copy of a portrait of the queen by the official court painter Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (Museo del Prado, Madrid).

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