Diego Velázquez, being in the court service of the Spanish king, often depicted members of the royal family in his paintings, which was very popular, thereby emphasizing the power and nobility of the ruling dynasty.
This work is “Portrait of the Infanta Maria Margarita,” written in 1655; this portrait occupies a special place in the artist’s work and refers to the mature period of his work. During this period, Velazquez created many portraits of the daughter of the Spanish King Philip IV, who later became the empress of the Holy Roman Empire.
The picture shows a little girl in an official dress, having a cold haughty look, which it was necessary to have representatives of the dynasty. Posture, too, gives the girl belonging to the royal family.
But, despite the stiffness and static of the figure of the little heiress of the throne, the artist transmitted the smallest features: the softness of the lines, the gold of the hair, the gentle swelling of the lips give her portrait a special warmth and tenderness that contrasts with the strict appearance.
Diego Velasquez’s “Portrait of the Infanta Maria Margarita” can be seen in the Louvre – the most famous museum in Europe and around the world.
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