Artwork
María Teresa (1638–1683), Infanta of Spain
María Teresa (1638–1683), Infanta of Spain is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This oil painting depicts María Teresa, Infanta of Spain (1638–1683), in a formal portrait.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition includes a dog and a chair alongside the figure.
The 1645 oil portrait by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo depicts the Infanta María Teresa of Spain as a young girl, a representation confirmed by both the work's title and catalog entries. The composition includes a dog and a chair alongside the figure. These accessories signal her noble status and the formal context of court portraiture, while the youthful portrayal underscores her position within the Spanish Habsburg dynasty.
As a portrait of a royal infant, the work functions to document her lineage and the expectations of her future role, serving both as a personal likeness and a statement of dynastic continuity.
Technique & Style
The portrait of María Teresa, created in 1645 by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Measuring 148 cm in height and 102.9 cm in width, the work functions as a formal portrait depicting the Infanta alongside a dog and a chair. Stylistically, the piece adheres to the portrait genre conventions of the mid-seventeenth century, utilizing the oil medium to render the sitter's likeness and associated objects.
The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its formal qualities focus on the representation of the young girl within a composed setting, characteristic of the artist's approach to royal portraiture during this period.
History & Provenance
The portrait of María Teresa (1638–1683), Infanta of Spain, was painted by Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo in 1645 in oil on canvas. The work depicts the Infanta as a young girl accompanied by a dog and a chair, and it is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued among the European paintings. The available sources do not provide further information on the circumstances of the commission, the original patron, or the successive owners through whom the painting passed before entering the museum's collection.
Overview
This oil painting depicts María Teresa, Infanta of Spain (1638–1683), in a formal portrait. The young subject is seated, her posture rigid, adorned in an elaborate, dark gown. A small dog rests in her lap, adding a touch of domesticity to the otherwise solemn composition.
The background features a draped red curtain, with the remainder of the setting rendered in deep shadow, emphasizing the figure.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo
Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo (c.1612 – February 10, 1667) was a Spanish Baroque portrait and landscape painter, the most distinguished of the followers of his father-in-law Velázquez, whose style he imitated more closely than did any…
