Íñigo López de Mendoza stood out as a great ally of King Ferdinand the Catholic, being captain general of the Kingdom of Granada and participating directly in the War of Granada at the end of the 15th century. After the victory, he was appointed the first governor of Granada, a post he held until the end of his life, combining the coexistence of victors and vanquished with the affairs of running the city, such as administrative and economic matters.
The original work was kept in the former collection of the Duke of Osuna, although its track has been lost, but it appears constantly in the documentation. The copy made by Francisco Díaz Carreño between 1877 and 1878, which is in the collections of the Museo del Prado, is better known today.
Both the portrait itself and the meticulousness with which it complements the setting are outstanding pictorially. It shows the main figure in front of a window, with a grenade emphasising the importance of the conflict in Granada and with significant elements of military command such as the staff in his hand and the helmet resting on the window. Stylistically, Juan Bautista de Espinosa shows the strong portrait painting tradition of the late 16th century, marking out isolated figures and very precise lines in the drawing.

Collection: Images

Project: 5. Power and powers in the history of Europe: oligarchies, political participation and democracy.

Chronology: XVI, XVII

Scope: Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, University

Link: http://www.tiemposmodernos.org/tm3/index.php/tm/article/view/2605

Resource type: Image

Format: Oil on canvas

Source: Martín, J. M. (2017). "Para el rey nuestro señor... Fernando el Católico, el conde de Tendilla y la cultura de su tiempo", en Tiempos modernos, nº 34, p. 170.

Language: Spanish

Date: First half of the 17th century

Owner: Roberto José Alcalde López (Modernalia)

Copyright: ©Tiempos Modernos ©Juan Manuel Martín García ©Museo del Prado

Abstract: Portrait of Íñigo López de Mendoza painted by Juan Bautista de Espinosa

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