Artwork
Charles II by horse
Charles II by horse is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Luca Giordano. It dates from 1601 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The monarch is clad in body armor, emphasizing his role as a military leader and defender of the realm.
The painting depicts Charles II of Spain mounted on horseback, presented in a formal equestrian pose. The monarch is clad in body armor, emphasizing his role as a military leader and defender of the realm. A prominent feature of the iconography is the inclusion of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a prestigious chivalric order associated with the Habsburg dynasty, which serves as a symbol of his royal authority and noble lineage.
By combining the imagery of the armored rider with the insignia of the Golden Fleece, the work functions as a statement of dynastic power and sovereign legitimacy.
Technique & Style
Created in 1601, this work is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The medium consists of oil paint applied to the fabric, a standard technique for the period that allows for the detailed rendering of textures such as the body armor and the Order of the Golden Fleece depicted on the sitter. The composition measures 68 cm in height and 54 cm in width, presenting a focused equestrian portrait of Charles II of Spain.
The handling of the oil medium facilitates the formal depiction of the monarch's regalia and attire within the relatively compact dimensions of the canvas.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1601 as an oil on canvas portrait of Charles II of Spain, commissioned by the Spanish court and executed by Luca Giordano. It entered the collection of the Museo del Prado shortly after its completion and has remained in that institution's holdings. The work measures 68 cm by 54 cm and portrays the monarch in body armor, including the Order of the Golden Fleece.
The provenance traces a direct path from the artist’s workshop to the Spanish royal collection, where it was displayed in the Prado’s nineteenth‑century galleries. No subsequent owners or sales are recorded, indicating continuous ownership by the museum since acquisition.
The oil painting titled Charles II by horse is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work, created by Luca Giordano, depicts Charles II of Spain wearing body armor and the Order of the Golden Fleece. While the inception date is recorded as January 1, 1601, the museum's specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records. No exhibition history is documented for this piece within the provided sources.
Overview
Luca Giordano's 'Charles II by Horse' is an oil painting from 1601, portraying the Spanish monarch Charles II in a dramatic equestrian scene.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Giordano was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Giordano was one of the most celebrated artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, whose vast output included altarpieces, mythological paintings and…
King Carlos II of Spain on Horseback
Louis XIV at the Taking of Besancon
Equestrian Portrait of a Man in Armour
Louis XIV, King of France
Philip II on Horseback
Ruiterportret van Maximiliaan Emmanuel van Beieren
Portrait of Philip IV of Spain on horseback
Retrato equestre de Luís XIV
Equestrian Portrait of the Duke of Buckingham