Familia real - History Lab

The family of Philip V

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:03 +0000

Van Loo’s work shows King Philip V with his second wife, Isabella Farnese, who appears in the centre of the composition. Alongside them are his descendants, the future Ferdinand VI (son of his first marriage to Maria Luisa Gabriela of Savoy) and Charles III, accompanied by their wives. Contrasting attitudes can be observed: the exhaustion of Philip V compared to the fullness of Isabella Farnese, the elegance of Fernando VI and the presence of the then King of Naples, Charless III. The work as a whole excludes the psychological depth of the sitters. In addition to its genealogical value, the work is reminiscent of the organisation of Dutch conversation paintings in which the family is shown as a public institution. From an artistic point of view, it marks the evolution of the French school with the apotheosis of the collective portrait and a more developed conception than the earlier paintings by Rigaud, Mignard and Largillerre.

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The family of Charles IV

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:03 +0000

The Family of Carlos IV belongs to a series of royal portraits begun by Goya in 1799, on the eve of Napoleon’s Consulate, which promised to pacify the tumultuous past decade. Goya placed the fourteen figures depicted in an austere interior without carpets, decorating only the back wall. The painting is based, as has often been claimed, on Las Meninas of 1656. The modifications made by the artist from Zaragoza differed from Velázquez’s details, such as the definition of space (none in this work) and the close relationship of Velázquez’s figures as opposed to the introspective depictions of arlos IV’s family. In the centre of the painting is the figure of the queen, dressed like the other infantas in a brilliant French-style dress, on which she wears the sash of the Royal Order of Noble Ladies founded by her in 1794. In addition, she imitates the Infanta’s posture, which several historians considered to be a satire on the Queen because of her advanced age. Emerging from the half-light, Ferdinand appears dressed in the blue of the principality of Asturias. His brother, Carlos María Isidro, holds him by the waist, a curious attitude that could be interpreted as a predisposition to succeed Ferdinand if necessary, and which seems to announce his intention in 1833 to claim the throne for his niece Isabella, a fact that would lead to the future Carlist Wars. The lady in lost profile represents Ferdinand’s future wife, thought to be Caroline of Saxe-Weimar, until in 1802 it was Maria Antonia of Naples. King Charles IV is depicted in full dress, with a golden fleece, and bands and badges of the order of Charles III, the Neapolitan order of San Gennaro and the four Spanish orders (Santiago, Montesa, Calatrava and Alcántara).

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Fhilip V’s entry into Seville (1729)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:26 +0000

The image shows the work by Pedro Tortolero (1738), entitled: “Entry of Our Catholic Monarch H.D. Fhilip V, his Royal Family and entourage into the Most Noble and Most Loyal City of Seville, on the third of February in the year 1729”. During the five years 1729-1733, also known as the Royal Five Years in Seville, the Spanish Court moved from Madrid to Seville, where it resided until 16 May 1733. This was an unusual event, as the court had only previously moved to Valladolid at the beginning of the 17th century. The arrival of the first Bourbon to the city of Seville was a very important event, and the streets and buildings of the city were decorated to welcome the royal retinue, which entered through the Triana district in a luxurious carriage. They were followed by a hundred or so carriages filled with princes, princesses, princely princes, princely princes’ lords, high court officials and the rest of the entourage. The royal family settled in the Reales Alcázares, and a few days later they would leave for Cádiz to see the entry of the fleet of galleons from America. On their return, and during their stay in Seville, numerous festivities and religious events were held, as well as banquets, dances and other celebrations. From there, the king would visit other places such as Granada, Jaén, El Puerto de Santa María and Cazalla de la Sierra. The reasons for the Court’s relocation are not clear. It is thought that it may have been due to the monarch’s delicate mental health, or to the desire to promote the city after having moved the Casa de la Contratación to Cádiz a few years earlier. One way or another, what is certain is that the royal stay in Seville had an important impact on the region and especially on the city, where the construction of numerous civil and religious buildings was promoted, such as the Real Maestranza de Caballería, the Real Fábrica de Tabacos, the Hospital del Buen Suceso and the Church of San Luis de los Franceses, among others.

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