Circle of Andrés López Polanco

Portrait of a Spanish Nobleman Wearing a Splendid Flemish Three-Quarter Armor with Extravagant Gold Damascened Decoration

oil on canvas

48 x 39 ½ inches (122 x 100 cm.)

PROVENANCE: E.(?) P.(?) Mellon, 1030 Fifth Avenue, New York, and Louisville, Kentucky, 1929 (from an old Knodler & Company label on the stretcher); New York Art Market, 1960s, where acquired by Private Collection, Beacon, New York until the present time

This portrait was executed during the reign of Philip III of Spain (1578-1621) by one of the followers of Juan Pantoja de la Cruz (c. 1553-1606), court painter to Philip II. The ideals and traditions of Pantoja were retained and faithfully adhered to by the next generation of court portraitists.¹ Among this group our work most closely resembles that of Andrés López Polanco (c. 1580-1641), (see Polanco’s portrait of Philip III in the Monasterio de Santo Maria la Real de Huelgas, Burgos, Spain, inventory number 00652188).

Our painting displays the traditional imagery employed when representing royalty, but at this point available to any individual of means. The sitter is shown in a three-quarter view, not quite facing front nor in profile. Directly lit, he stands erect, with closed mouth and an intense gaze. His outfit is reproduced in exquisite detail.² The black, red and gold color scheme was typical for court portraits. ³The interior is dark but filled with objects bearing dynastic associations.⁴ The red velvet cloth covered table upon which our sitter’s right hand rests symbolizes loyalty to the state.⁵ On the table the helmet surmounted with the heraldic device of ostrich plumes denotes his family’s lineage. The glove next to it is a further symbol of fidelity. The raised red velvet curtain trimmed with gold restates the implication of power and rank.⁶ The left hand that grasps the swept-hilt rapier connotes his readiness to serve the sovereign.

The most pronounced element of the portrayal is the armor. Intended to leave no doubt as to the status of the sitter, it is also reflective of the new grandeur that Philip III’s reign ushered in at court. By this time, due to the invention of firearms and long-range weapons, the wearing of armor as well as a sword had become purely ceremonial. In portraiture, both served to convey a number of meanings, i.e.; authority, war, courage, victory, power, rank, status, entitlement and wealth.⁷ Our sitter’s armor decorated by bluing ⁸ with gilded ornamentation features a variety of scenes and figures, including jousters, soldiers, riders on horseback, shields, dragons, grotesqueries, foliage, swags and even a putto.⁹ The millstone ruff, matching cuffs and red velvet breeches embellished with gold embroidery serve to complete this testimonial to wealth, power, loyalty and ambition.

¹ Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez, “Velasquez and the Baroque Portrait,” exhibition catalogue Museo National del Prado, Madrid, The Spanish Portrait from El Greco to Picasso, October 20, 2004 – February 6, 2005, p. 166.
² Sarah Schroth, “Veneration and Beauty: Messages in the Image of the King in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries”, exhibition catalogue Seattle Art Museum, 1492 Spain in the Age of Exploration 1819, October 16, 2004 – January 2, 2005, p. 130.
³ Leticia Ruiz Gómez, “Court Portraits in the Spanish Monarchy (1530-1660)”, op. cit., p. 95.
⁴ Pérez, op. cit., p. 166.
⁵ Gómez, op. cit., p, 99. A ritual of the Spanish Court during royal audiences was that the king would stand motionless at a table throughout the visit.
⁶ Pérez, op. cit., p. 166.
⁷ Gómez, op. cit., p. 113.
⁸ Ibid., p, 114. Bluing was an innovation developed in Augsburg in which the plates for the armor were heated to extremely high temperatures until oxidation happened which caused the metal to turn blue. It proved an effective tool against rust as well as highly ornamentative when combined with etched and gilded borders.
⁹ So fanciful a design, it is a distinct possibility that the armor never existed but instead was a product of artistic invention

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