Title

Prince Don Carlos of Austria

Author

Straeten, Jooris van der [attributed to]

Active in Spain in 1554

Typology

School

Century

Dimensions

Technique

Support

Observations

This portrait of Prince Don Carlos of Austria, painted by Jooris van der Straeten, is housed in the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid. It depicts Prince Don Carlos (1545-1568), heir to King Philip II of Spain, shown here in armor, in a majestic pose symbolizing his royal status as heir. Eldest son of Philip II and his first wife Maria Manuela of Portugal, Carlos was a tragic figure in Spanish history, marked by personal turmoil and an untimely death.

The portrait, created around 1562, not only illustrates the prince in all his splendor but also reflects the special attachment of his aunt, Juana of Austria, the founder of the Madrid monastery where the painting is preserved, to this young heir. The princess had cared for her nephew after his mother’s death, and it is likely that she considered this portrait a precious memento, part of her personal collection she bequeathed to the monastery upon her death in 1573. The resemblance to other portraits of the prince, notably the one by Sánchez Coello at the Prado Museum (inv. 1136), reinforces the idea that these works were created in a series to document royal figures, though each version carries its own nuances.

Jooris van der Straeten, a Flemish painter specializing in court portraits, created this work in the tradition of great masters of the genre, such as Antonio Moro and Alonso Sánchez Coello. Van der Straeten, active in Madrid between 1560 and 1571, added his unique touch to the royal portrait tradition, characterized by meticulous details and striking realism. The choice to depict the prince in armor, likely symbolic of an emerging virility, suggests that Don Carlos was destined for war and a commanding role, even though his life was marked by illness and psychological suffering.

Currently, the portrait is displayed in the Kings' Room of the monastery, alongside other Habsburg portraits, including that of his aunt Juana of Austria (November 2024).

Related links

Bibliography

• J.J. Garcés (1969): El museo madrileño de las Descalzas Reales, Prensa Ibérica, Madrid, pp. 75-6; 80-1.

Locations

• 1573: Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, Madrid (Spain) (Inventory number: 00612065)