Lady with a Fan

Alonso Sánchez Coello executed this oil portrait on panel between 1570 and 1573. Physical evidence, including the truncation of the sitter's right hand, the arrangement of the arms, and irregularities along the perimeter, suggests the work was originally larger before being cut down. The painting depicts an unidentified noblewoman, previously speculated to be an infanta and potential sister of King Philip II of Spain.

The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. No further details regarding its specific commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its museum tenure are provided in the available records.

Lady with a Fan is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The painting, executed in oil on panel, measures 62.6 by 55 cm. While specific inventory numbers are not detailed in the provided records, the work is firmly established within the museum's holdings. Sources indicate the piece was created between 1570 and 1573.

Although the artwork is a significant holding of the Prado and external links to the museum's official fiche are noted, the available texts do not list specific past exhibitions or loan history for this portrait.

The painting was created by Alonso Sánchez Coello around 1570–1573 and is housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It depicts an unidentified high-ranking woman, once thought to be an infanta of Spain and possibly a sister of Philip II, wearing a richly detailed black dress with gold chains, a high open collar, and holding a Japanese folding fan. The work measures 62.6 × 55 cm and is executed in oil on a tropical wood panel, likely mahogany.

Scholars suggest the composition was originally larger, as indicated by the truncated right hand, arm placement, and irregular edge, implying the fan was added later or the canvas trimmed. Its style reflects Flemish influences in the collar and jewelry, while the fan introduces Eastern motifs, highlighting cross-cultural exchange in 16th-century portraiture.

Lady with a Fan, painted circa 1570 by Alonso Sánchez Coello, is a Renaissance portrait exemplifying the fusion of Flemish objectivity and Venetian sensuality, characteristic of Coello's work as court painter to Philip II of Spain.

While Lady with a Fan is not individually renowned beyond its artist and period, it contributes to the broader understanding of 16th-century Spanish courtly life and Coello's role in shaping the era's portraiture.