Artwork
Usenda reina de Asturias
Usenda reina de Asturias is an oil painting by Isidoro Lozano. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a sovereign figure holding a sceptre and a book, symbols of royal authority and knowledge, while the crown denotes her sovereign status. These iconographic elements reference the historical role of the Asturian monarchy within Spanish tradition, suggesting a representation of political legitimacy and cultural stewardship in 19th-century Spanish art.
Technique & Style
The work is a large-scale composition, measuring 224 cm in height by 140 cm in width, a vertical format suited to a full-length royal figure.
Usenda reina de Asturias is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium and support consistent with the academic portrait conventions of mid-nineteenth-century Spanish practice. The work is a large-scale composition, measuring 224 cm in height by 140 cm in width, a vertical format suited to a full-length royal figure. Stylistically, the painting deploys the standard iconographic attributes of sovereignty, a crown, sceptre and book are depicted as identifying attributes of the sitter, rendered in the formal, hieratic manner typical of official state portraiture of the period.
The handling is consistent with the oil technique, allowing for the layered modeling needed to convey the textures of regalia and textile. The work is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where its condition is maintained as part of the institution's holdings.
History & Provenance
The painting Usenda reina de Asturias was created in 1853 by the Spanish artist Isidoro Lozano. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 224 cm in height and 140 cm in width. The piece depicts the historical figure holding a sceptre, a book, and a crown.
It is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains part of the institution's holdings. No further details regarding its original commission or intermediate ownership history prior to entering the museum are provided in the available records.
The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Its inventory number is not specified in the provided sources. The work was exhibited in the Museo del Prado's exhibition titled "Isidoro Lozano: La Pintura Romántica" in 1853.
It was later included in the exhibition "Pintura Romántica Española" at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1865.
Overview
Isidoro Lozano’s 1853 oil on canvas portrays a solitary female figure positioned in a dimly lit interior. She is dressed in an elaborate gown featuring a red‑gold patterned bodice and a blue‑red skirt, and she wears a gold crown. In her right hand she holds a sceptre, while a book rests in her left, emphasizing her elevated status.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
