Miguel Jacinto Meléndez - Portrait of Philip V inserted in an oval

Lot description

MIGUEL JACINTO MELÉNDEZ Oviedo 1679 - Madrid 1734 Portrait of Philip V inserted in an oval Oil on canvas Measurements 69.5 x 59.5 cm Miguel Jacinto Meléndez, Painter of the King, made various official portraits of Felipe V and his wife Isabel de Farnesio that were widely disseminated during the reign of both monarchs. These official portraits belong to a large group of similar paintings that Meléndez painted from the second half of the century, whose final destination was usually institutional or religious headquarters, such as the Royal Academy of San Fernando or the cathedral of Burgo de Osma. The king shows a young but slightly idealized face, he wears a cuirass, over a dress with wide sleeves, and wears a white collar and tie; His chest is crossed by the band of the order of Saint-Espirit and he wears the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The work shows that vaporous, loose and brilliant brushstroke without giving up the psychological introspection of the character. . These portraits derive from a first portrait that is probably the same one kept by the Prado Museum, which may date from the years 1718-1722.