Artwork
Portrait of cardinal-infante Ferdinand of Spain
Portrait of cardinal-infante Ferdinand of Spain is an oil painting. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This oil painting depicts the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria, a prominent Spanish royal and military figure, portrayed here as a man in his official capacity.
The painting depicts Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria, a prominent Spanish royal and military figure, portrayed here as a man in his official capacity. Created in 1640, the work functions as a formal portrait that captures the subject's status and identity. The composition is thematically linked to a larger historical narrative, specifically serving as a derivative work based on a depiction of the Cardinal-Infante at the Battle of Nördlingen.
This connection suggests the image is not merely a static likeness but an iconographic reference to his military leadership and role in the conflict. By isolating the figure from the broader battle scene, the artwork emphasizes his personal authority and significance within the Habsburg hierarchy during the mid-seventeenth century.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted circa 1640, aligning with the cardinal-infante’s documented presence in the Southern Netherlands and his political role after the Battle of Nördlingen. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded as an oil on panel measuring 59 × 50 cm. Its subject, Ferdinand of Austria, is identified by the museum’s record as the Cardinal-Infante depicted in a posthumous or contemporary representation linked to Rubens’s workshop. The painting’s creation history situates it within the broader tradition of portraiture commemorating the Habsburg prince’s governance in the Low Countries.
The Portrait of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Created in 1640 by Peter Paul Rubens, the oil-on-panel work depicts Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria. While the painting's inception and current institutional location are documented, the provided records do not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they detail any past or present exhibition history for this specific object.
Context
The 1640 oil portrait of Cardinal‑Infante Ferdinand of Austria, recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, exemplifies Rubens’s late court portraiture and his ability to convey status through elegant composition. As a work attributed to the artist and catalogued as a painting, it reflects the Baroque emphasis on realistic yet idealized representation of elite subjects. Scholarship notes its basis on The Cardinal‑Infante Don Fernando de Austria, at the Battle of Nördlingen, linking the portrait to contemporary military iconography.
Its formal qualities, oil on panel, dimensions of 59 × 50 cm, and genre as portrait, underscore Rubens’s mastery of portraiture within the broader European art historical narrative.
Overview
This oil painting depicts the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain. The artist renders the subject against a dark, indistinct background, emphasizing his presence. Ferdinand's attire, including a black hat, white ruff, and red sash, contributes to a formal yet striking presentation.
The work employs a focused light source to highlight the sitter's features and convey a sense of calm authority.
Technique & Style
The artist utilizes smooth brushstrokes to achieve a lifelike rendering of the subject's skin and garments. A key element is the dramatic use of chiaroscuro, a technique employing strong contrasts between light and dark. This focused illumination makes Ferdinand's face sharply defined against the shadowy backdrop, drawing attention to his features and creating a sense of depth and sculptural form within the composition.
Artist & collection
Leopold Wilhelm, geboren 1614, Bischof v. Passau u. Straßburg 1625, v. Halberstadt 1628, v. Olmütz 1637, v. Breslau 1655, Hoch- und Deutschmeister 1642, Statthalter d. Niederlande 1646-56, gestorben 1
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Cornelis van Aerssen (1600-62), lord of Sommelsdijk. Colonel of cavalry
Portrait of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Erzherzog Ferdinand, Kardinal-Infant von Spanien (Kopie nach)
Portrait of an officer
Portrait of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm (1614-1662)
Portrait of Prince Willem II (1626-1650)
Ludvig VI, 1630-78, lantgreve av Hessen-Darmstadt
