Circle of FRANCISCO DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (Fuendetodos, Zaragoza, 1746 - Bordeaux, France, 1828).
"Portrait of Charles IV.
Oil on canvas. Re-retouched.
It presents repainting, old restorations and a Carlos IV style frame from the end of the 19th century with damages.
Measurements: 126 x 94 cm; 145 x 113 cm (frame).
Dressed in a maroon silk suit, embroidered in silver, the monarch holds the command staff of captain general with his hand, barely visible in the composition, while he rests the other on his waist. The cross and the sash of the Order of Charles III, as well as that of San Gennaro of Naples, hang glittering above his costume. The golden fleece can also be seen. Next to the monarch, an ermine-skinned table supports the royal crown, which is the only element outside the figure of the monarch. The work follows the aesthetic models imposed by Francisco de Goya, who painted several portraits of the monarch. The painting is a reflection of the picture painted by Goya in 1789, which belongs to the Museo del Prado collection and is called Carlos IV de Rojo.
It was conceived as a companion piece to the portrait of Queen consort Maria Luisa, both commissioned by the Academy in March. It was Jovellanos who entrusted the task to Goya who, as a court painter, produced several versions of the works. In this particular case, despite the similarities with the Prado work, certain differences can be recognised. Firstly, the large green curtain in this case is reduced to a kind of curtain, where the colour is spread evenly, thus avoiding the marked folds. Furthermore, in this case, the monarch carries the baton of command and a highly decorative waistcoat.
Charles IV was King of Spain and of the Spanish Empire from 1788 to 1808. The Spain inherited by Charles IV showed few signs of instability, but during his reign, Spain entered into a series of unprofitable alliances and his regime constantly sought cash to meet the demands of war. His son and heir, Ferdinand, led the failed Conspiracy of El Escorial and subsequently forced Charles to abdicate after the Tumult of Aranjuez in 1808, along with the dismissal of his prime minister Manuel de Godoy. Summoned to Bayonne by Napoleon Bonaparte, who forced Ferdinand VII to abdicate, Charles IV also abdicated, paving the way for Napoleon to place his older brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne. However, Charles IV's reign proved to be an important turning point in Spanish history.