17th Century Continental School Portrait of Philip II of S...

Hammer

€4,600

17th Century Continental School

Portrait of Philip II of Spain, wearing Armour
O.O.C., 125cms x 100cms (49'' x 39''), in ornate gilt frame.

Provenance:  Kilcooley Abbey, purchased at Mealys 2008. 
Painted in oil on canvas, this portrait almost certainly depicts Philip II, who was King of Spain and the Spanish Empire from 1556 until his death in 1598. It is likely a seventeenth century version of a portrait painted in the 1540’s by a Netherlandish artist such as Antonis Mor, although the architectural setting is more typical of the seventeenth century. The present work compares closely with other portraits depicting Philip II, when still a prince. With his dark hair, beard and moustache, he is depicted as a handsome young man, eyes fixed on the viewer and lips pursed. He wears a full suit of armour, with lace ruff collar and holding a baton. His left hand is poised above the pommel of a sword. When compared with other portraits of Philip, this example is unusual in that the suit of armour is plain and functional: most other portraits depict him wearing armour that is heavily ornamented, gilded and engraved. The setting is severe and architectural, with the prince resting his right arm on the plinth of a large classical column. In the background, a siege is in progress, with the ramparts of a city visible amidst plumes of smoke and cannon fire. This may be the Siege of Perpignan, which took place in 1542, and at which the Prince was present, although not directly involved in the action. The siege saw the Spanish, led by the Duke of Alba, defeat the French forces under the Dauphin of France.
A monarch remembered both for his command of a growing Spanish Empire, and for his fixed views on religious conformity, Philip II was born in Valladolid in 1527, the son of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. After becoming King, he ruled over an empire that stretched from South America to the Philippines-the group of islands that was named after him. As a result of his marriage to Mary Tudor, he was also, briefly, King of England. Philip was committed to defending the Catholic faith, and waged war on both Protestants and the Ottoman empire. The Armada he sent to invade England in 1588 was largely destroyed by storms at sea.

Dr. Peter Murray, 2023

More Information

Provenance- From a Private Collector. Dublin , Ireland.
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