Artwork
Portrait of an infanta
Portrait of an infanta is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Frans Luycx. It dates from 1601 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Technique & Style
Its dimensions are 164 cm in height and 118 cm in width, reflecting a full‑length format typical of courtly subjects.
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for 17th‑century European portraiture. Its dimensions are 164 cm in height and 118 cm in width, reflecting a full‑length format typical of courtly subjects. The work depicts a young infanta alongside a decorative vase and a hand fan, elements that contribute to a formal composition emphasizing regal poise and material richness.
The handling of light and coloration underscores the Baroque interest in texture and surface detail, while the precise rendering of the accessories highlights the artist’s attention to courtly symbolism.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of an infanta by Frans Luycx was created in 1601, executed in oil paint on canvas. It depicts an infanta alongside a vase and a hand fan, suggesting a formal courtly commission of the period, though the specific patron or sitter is not documented in the available records.
The work is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is currently located. No earlier ownership history, intermediate collections, or acquisition details are recorded in the available sources, so the chain of provenance prior to its entry into the museum's holdings cannot be traced from this evidence.
The painting Portrait of an Infanta by Frans Luycx is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Created in 1601, the work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 164 cm in height by 118 cm in width. The source material does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor does it list any exhibition history at the time of the provided records.
Overview
Frans Luycx, a Flemish artist who later served as the chief portraitist for Emperor Ferdinand III in Vienna, completed the oil painting Portrait of an Infanta in 1601. Executed in the early Baroque style, the work is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection and presents a youthful Spanish royal figure in a composed, interior setting.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is a young infanta, shown holding a delicate hand‑fan and positioned beside a vase that contains flowers and reflects a muted garden scene. The inclusion of the fan and the ornamental vase underscores her aristocratic status and the courtly rituals associated with Spanish royalty during the early seventeenth century.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Frans Luycx or Frans Luyckx (Dutch pronunciation:; before 17 April 1604 – 1 May 1668) was a Flemish painter who became the leading portrait painter at the imperial court of Emperor Ferdinand III in Vienna.
Charles II, when Prince of Wales
Federico, Prince of Urbino, at the Age of Two Years
Erzherzog Karl Joseph (1649-1664) mit Eichhörnchen, im Alter von vier bis fünf Jahren
Charles II as a Child
Portrait of Vittoria della Rovere (1622-1694) aged 4 or 5
Giancarlo de' Medici (1611-1663), Cardinal, at the age of 10.
A Boy Standing on a Terrace
A Boy
Portrait of a Boy
Erzherzogin Maria Elisabeth (1680-1741) im Alter von ca. vier Jahren
Maddalena Cattaneo- Portrait of Infante Balthasar Carlos