Portrait of Philip V of Spain C.1725; After Hyacinth Rigaud (1659-1743)

King Philip IV of Spain (1605 - 1665) was the son of Philip III and Margaret of Austria. Philip V reluctantly assumed the Spanish throne in 1700 and was the first of the Bourbon dynasty, which continues to reign today. Philip’s 46 year reign, briefly curtailed in 1724 when he abdicated in favor of his short-lived son, Louis I, was one of the most important in the country’s history. Modern accounts of Philip demonstrate that the king initiated significant developments in politics, imperial policy, finance, government, and the army that laid the basis of the modern Spanish state. Philip also encouraged literature, the creative arts, and music in ways that brought Spanish culture closer in touch with Europe, and he dealt authoritatively with issues concerning the autonomy of the provinces of Spain and the role of the monarchy itself.

The portrait was painted circa 1750 and shows the young king dressed in Spanish fashion - black and with a white ruff. He wears the badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece on a gold chain and the blue band of the Order of the Holy Spirit, main distinctions of the Spanish and French monarchies respectively. The painting derives from a portrait of the sitter that was painted in 1701 by Hyacinthe Rigaud (held in the Prado Museum Madrid).

The order is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by the Burgundian duke Philip the Good in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Isabella. Today, two branches of the Order exist - the Spanish and the Austrian Fleece. Having had only 1,200 recipients ever since its establishment, the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece is often referred to as the most prestigious and exclusive order of chivalry in the world, both historically and contemporaneously. Unlike any other distinction, the Golden Fleece is only granted for life, meaning it must be returned to the Spanish Monarch whenever the recipient deceases.

Quite rare for a portrait of this age and condition, is that the painting is on its original condition and has not be altered/lined onto a new canvas and therefore in a more original state. Held in a good 18th century gilt frame.

Rigaud is considered one of the most famous portrait painters of the French classical period. His patrons where amongst the richest circles of both French and European society – royalty, the bourgeois, financiers, nobles, industrialists, and ministers. He was court painter to the French royal family and his oeuvre includes an almost complete gallery of the leaders of the kingdom of France between 1680 and 1740. Many foreign princes on their ‘Grand Tour’ wanted to take with them a souvenir of France and especially their portraits by Rigaud. By some accounts it is estimated that over 1000 individuals sat for him. In 1702 he was appointed professor at the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris and then Professor in 1710. He had a successful workshop and took on many pupils and was active right up to his death in 1743.

Provenance: Private French collection

Measurements: Height 68cm, Width 57cm framed (Height 26.75”, Width 22.5” framed)

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