Wednesday Evening Lecture: Queens of the Spanish Golden Age

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 6:00pm
Bob Smith Auditorium - Meadows Museum

Wednesday Evening Lecture: Queens of the Spanish Golden Age: Portraits of Margarita of Austria, Isabella of Bourbon & Mariana of Austria

This lecture will analyze the portraits of Margarita of Austria, Philip III’s wife, and of Isabella of Bourbon and Mariana of Austria, Philip IV’s first and second wives, and explore how their iconography presented and defined the role of the queen in Baroque Spain. It will discuss how their portraits were influenced by the patterns and traditions of the Spanish monarchy, since clear associations can be established between these and earlier representations of female members of the Habsburg dynasty. A fact often overlooked is that these three queens were important patrons of art; therefore, this discussion will also consider their role in the commission and conception of some of their portraits. This presentation will contribute to a better understanding of portraiture at the Spanish Habsburg court in the Golden Age and is produced in collaboration with the Comini Lecture Series. Museum members receive priority seating until 5:40 p.m.

Contact:
214-768-4677