Diego Velázquez, 'Philip IV of Spain', about 1656
About the work
Overview
Velázquez painted many portraits of Philip IV, King of Spain, throughout his reign. This is the last painted image of the King by the man who served as his court artist from 1623. He looks middle-aged, and tired: his sagging flesh and puffy eyes suggest the weight of responsibility resting on his shoulders during his long reign (1621–65). As in many of Velázquez’s portraits, Philip sports his distinctive upturned moustache.
The King’s pale face stands out against the sombre black of his clothing and the plain background. He wears the Order of the Golden Fleece, a chivalric order whose pendant took the form of a suspended sheepskin, on a gold chain. The regular waves of Philip’s hair frame his face and rest neatly on his collar. He stares out steadily with a look that commands respect but is also intensely human.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Philip IV of Spain
- Artist
- Diego Velázquez
- Artist dates
- 1599 - 1660
- Date made
- about 1656
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 64.1 × 53.7 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1865
- Inventory number
- NG745
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Subjects
- Frame
- 17th-century Spanish Frame
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised by Allan Braham, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School’, London 1988; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
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2013Velázquez and the Family of Philip IVMuseo Nacional del Prado8 October 2013 - 9 February 2014
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2019Art and Empire: The Golden Age of SpainThe San Diego Museum of Art18 May 2019 - 2 September 2019
Bibliography
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1866London, National Gallery Archive, NG17/3 Annual Reports 1856-1867: The National Gallery Report for the Year 1865, 1866
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1925J. Allende-Salazar, Velazquez: Der Meisters Gemalde in 275 Abbildungen, Berlin 1925
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1925L. Mayer, 'Velázquez and Philip IV', The Burlington Magazine, XLVII/269, 1925, pp. 62-3
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1934R.N.D. Wilson, The National and Tate Galleries, London 1934
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1952Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School, London 1952
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1970N. MacLaren and A. Braham, The Spanish School, 2nd edn, London 1970
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1977V. Kemenov, Velázquez in Soviet Museums: Analysis and Interpretation of the Paintings in the Context of His Œuvre, trans. R. Keys, Leningrad 1977
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1979J. López-Rey, Velázquez: The Artist as a Maker, with a Catalogue Raisonné of His Extant Works, Lausanne 1979
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1982E. Harris, Velázquez, Oxford 1982
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1985M. Crawford Volk, 'Of Connoisseurs and Kings: Velázquez' "Philip IV" at Fenway Court', in Fenway Court, Boston 1985, pp. 23-35
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1986J. Brown, Velázquez: Painter and Courtier, New Haven 1986
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1988Maclaren, Neil, revised by Allan Braham, National Gallery Catalogues: The Spanish School, 2nd edn (revised), London 1988
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1989A. Domínguez Ortiz, A.E.P. Sánchez and J. Gállego, Velázquez (exh. cat. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 3 October 1989 - 7 January 1990), New York 1989
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1990A. Domínguez Ortiz, A.E.P. Sánchez and J. Gállego, Velázquez (exh. cat. Museo Nacional del Prado, 23 January - 30 March 1990), Madrid 1990
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1994F. Haskell et al., Anatole Demidoff, Prince of San Donato (1812-70) (exh. cat. Wallace Collection, 10 March - 25 July 1994), London 1994
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1996L. Kagané, Diego Velázquez, Bournemouth 1996
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1996L. Tonini, I demidoff a Firenze e in Toscana, Florence 1996
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1997M. Marini, Velázquez, Maestri (Electa editrice) 8, Milan 1997
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1998Y. Bottineau, Velázquez, Paris 1998
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1999J. Baticle et al., Velázquez, Dossier de l'art 63, Dijon 1999
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1999A.E. Pérez Sánchez, 'Novedades Velazqueñas', Archivo español de arte, LXXII/288, 1999, pp. 371-90
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2000J.M. Pita Andrade and Á. Aterido (eds), Corpus Velazqueño: Documentos y textos, Madrid 2000
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2000M.P. McDonald, 'Pedro Perret and Pedro de Villafranca. Printmakers to the Spanish Hapsburgs', Melbourne Art Journal, IV, 2000, pp. 37-51
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2004M. Morán and F. Checa Cremades, Velázquez, Bernini, Luca Giordano: Le corti del Barocco, (exh. cat. Scuderie Papali al Quirinale, 12 February - 2 May 2004), Rome 2004
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2006D. Carr (ed.), Velázquez (exh. cat. The National Gallery, 18 October 2006 - 21 January 2007), London 2006
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.