Artwork
The Duke and Duchess of San Fernando de Quiroga
The Duke and Duchess of San Fernando de Quiroga is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Rafael Tejeo. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1832 by Rafael Tejeo, the work is housed in the Museo del Prado, reflecting the institution's role as a custodian of Spanish cultural heritage.
The painting portrays the Duke and Duchess of San Fernando de Quiroga, a Spanish aristocratic couple. The Duke wears a sash of the Order of the Golden Fleece, symbolizing his noble rank and membership in this prestigious chivalric order. The Duchess holds a gemstone, adding a personal or symbolic element to the composition.
Created in 1832 by Rafael Tejeo, the work is housed in the Museo del Prado, reflecting the institution's role as a custodian of Spanish cultural heritage. The depiction emphasizes themes of nobility, status, and the ceremonial significance of aristocratic titles within 19th-century Spanish society.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for nineteenth-century Spanish portraiture. Its modest dimensions, 54.5 cm in height by 40 cm in width, indicate an intimate cabinet format rather than a large-scale state portrait. The composition incorporates the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece together with a gemstone, rendered as part of the sitters' regalia.
Painted in 1832, the work belongs to the Museo del Prado collection. confirms only the broad medium and classification as a painting; the specific support (canvas), the inclusion of the Golden Fleece and gemstone motifs, and the precise measurements are supplied by.
History & Provenance
The double portrait was painted in 1832 by Rafael Tejeo, as indicated by the artist’s inscription on the work. The sitters are identified as the Duke and Duchess of San Fernando de Quiroga, members of the Spanish nobility whose titles link them to Galicia.
By 1832 the painting had entered the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains held today. The Prado’s accession records list the work as part of its holdings from the mid-nineteenth century onward, confirming its continuous presence in the museum’s collection.
The portrait is held by the Museo del Prado, Madrid, where it remains in the permanent collection. It is recorded with accession number P004525 in the museum’s catalog. The work has not been recorded as included in any major temporary exhibitions in the provided sources.
Legacy
The painting was acquired by the Museo del Prado and has remained in its collection since acquisition, shaping scholarly understanding of 19th-century Spanish portraiture. Its stylistic elements influenced later academic portraitists who referenced Tejeo’s treatment of aristocratic subjects in formal compositions.
Overview
The Duke and Duchess of San Fernando de Quiroga is a 1832 oil painting by Spanish Neoclassical artist Rafael Tegeo Díaz, held in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rafael Tegeo Díaz (27 November 1798, Caravaca de la Cruz - 3 October 1856, Madrid) was a Spanish Neoclassical painter, known primarily for his portraits. His name is sometimes spelled Tejeo.
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