Philip IV in Brown and Silver
Encyclopedia
The Portrait of Philip IV or Philip IV in Brown and Silver is a portrait of Philip IV of Spain
painted by Diego Velázquez
. It is popularly known as Silver Philip and is now on show in the National Gallery
in London
.
The dating is not certain - the National Gallery website gives 1631/32, whilst Carrassat gives 1635 - but it was definitely the first portrait the artist produced after his first trip to Italy
, in that it adopts the softer and more colourful palette of the Venetian school. Life size, it is unlike most portraits of Philip IV, in that it does not show him in his usual wholly black costume. Instead it shows him in a brown and silver embroidered costume (thus giving the portrait its name), painted with small rapid strokes, and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece
on a golden chain.
It was on display in the Real Biblioteca de San Lorenzo de El Escorial until the early 19th century, when it was stolen from there and passed into an English collection - the National Gallery bought it in 1882.
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
painted by Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
. It is popularly known as Silver Philip and is now on show in the National Gallery
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The dating is not certain - the National Gallery website gives 1631/32, whilst Carrassat gives 1635 - but it was definitely the first portrait the artist produced after his first trip to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in that it adopts the softer and more colourful palette of the Venetian school. Life size, it is unlike most portraits of Philip IV, in that it does not show him in his usual wholly black costume. Instead it shows him in a brown and silver embroidered costume (thus giving the portrait its name), painted with small rapid strokes, and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
on a golden chain.
It was on display in the Real Biblioteca de San Lorenzo de El Escorial until the early 19th century, when it was stolen from there and passed into an English collection - the National Gallery bought it in 1882.