Artwork
Portrait of Don Luis de la Cerda, later IX Duke of Medinaceli (or Medinacelli), (1654–1711)
Portrait of Don Luis de la Cerda, later IX Duke of Medinaceli (or Medinacelli), (1654–1711) is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jacob Ferdinand Voet. It dates from 1692 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows Luis Francisco de la Cerda wearing a combat helmet and holding a glove, attributes that signal his martial role and noble status.
The painting shows Luis Francisco de la Cerda wearing a combat helmet and holding a glove, attributes that signal his martial role and noble status. These visual cues underscore his identity as a military figure within the aristocratic lineage of the de la Cerda family. The portrait was created by Jacob Ferdinand Voet in 1684 and is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it remains part of the permanent collection.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, a format documented in the source material. It portrays Luis Francisco de la Cerda wearing a combat helmet and a glove, rendered with the naturalistic detail typical of late Baroque portraiture. The canvas measures 231 centimeters in height and 173 centimeters in width, reflecting the large scale often employed for formal portraits of aristocratic subjects.
The composition emphasizes the sitter’s dignified presence through careful rendering of fabric textures and the metallic sheen of armor, showcasing the artist’s technical mastery of oil paint on canvas.
The painting is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it remains part of the permanent collection.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Don Luis de la Cerda, later IX Duke of Medinaceli, was commissioned as a state portrait and painted by Jacob Ferdinand Voet in 1684. It entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display. The work is an oil on canvas measuring 231 cm by 173 cm and depicts Luis Francisco de la Cerda in combat attire with a helmet and glove.
The portrait is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work, executed in oil on canvas in 1684, depicts Luis Francisco de la Cerda wearing a combat helmet and glove. While the painting is part of the museum's permanent holdings, the provided records do not list a specific inventory number or detail any past exhibitions.
Context
The portrait was created by Jacob Ferdinand Voet in 1684 and exemplifies the Baroque period's emphasis on individual representation. It is part of the collection at the Museo del Prado, where it is recognized as a significant example of 17th-century portraiture. Contemporary scholarship highlights its role within Voet's broader body of work and its contribution to understanding the visual culture of Spanish nobility during this era.
Overview
Jacob Ferdinand Voet’s 1692 oil portrait presents Luis Francisco de la Cerda, who would become the ninth Duke of Medinaceli. The sitter stands in a sumptuous red coat trimmed with gold, a white cravat tied with a blue bow, and holds a glove and a combat helmet. A dark, theatrical curtain frames the scene, suggesting an interior of refined taste. The work now belongs to the Prado Museum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Ferdinand Voet or Jakob Ferdinand Voet (c. 1639 – 26 September 1689) was a Flemish portrait painter. He had an international career that brought him to Italy and France, where he made portraits for an elite…
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