Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain
Andrés López Polanco·c. 1610
Historical Context
Andrés López Polanco painted this portrait of Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, around 1610, depicting the wife of Philip III who was known for her piety and influence at the Spanish court. López Polanco was a court painter in Madrid who produced official portraits of the Spanish royal family during the early seventeenth century. These formal royal portraits served both diplomatic and propagandistic functions, disseminating the image of the Spanish monarchy across Europe.
Technical Analysis
The oil on canvas follows Spanish court portrait conventions with the rigid formality and elaborate costume typical of Habsburg portraiture. The meticulous rendering of the queen's richly embroidered dress and jewelry reflects the importance of material display in projecting royal authority.
Provenance
Arthur Meeker, Chicago [according to a notation on the Registrar’s record]. Eugene McVoy (died 1929), Chicago, by 1927 [lent to the Art Institute in 1927, as Sánchez Coello, receipt R3417]; by descent to his children Corinne McVoy Gorham, Marie Celeste McVoy Kohler (later McFadden), Jean Dorothy McVoy Conger and Eugene J. McVoy Jr.; given by them to the Art Institute, 1942.
