Throughout the 16th century and much of the 17th century, portraits of the habsburg family were widely disseminated through numerous versions and copies made by artists of very diverse quality, depending on different circumstances and contexts. Considering the prestige of their reigns and the visual effectiveness of the portraits created under their respective governments, the effigies of charles v and philip ii were the most repeated during that period. This portrait of the king was precisely intended to be paired with the portrait of the emperor (p6082), a copy of the canvas painted by juan pantoja de la cruz in 1605 from an original [now lost] by titian. The close relationship between both portraits explains the specific characteristics of this composition, which basically derives from the full-length portrait painted by antonio more in 1560 to celebrate the victory against the french at san quentin. In this, philip ii appears defiantly, strongly illuminated, emerging from a dark background and covered with the breastplate of his bladed harness. This specimen must have been the model for this version of the prado, as certain details of the face and the crimson tone adopted for the gregüescoes indicate. However, there are very notable variants; the arrangement of the monarch is inverted with respect to the original, undoubtedly due to its relationship with the portrait of charles v. In addition, more pieces of the famous armor have been included, both those that complete the arms (shoulder pad, codal, armband) and the mittens, as well as that of the head, the magnificent helmet that rests on a nearby buffet. Both the portrait of charles v and this one of philip ii were painted by an artist correct and concise in the repetition of the faces, who at the same time transmitted the pieces of armor with absolute fidelity. This fact is the most significant of the work, and suggests that the purpose of the commissioning of the two portraits was precisely to underline the prestige of these valuable military attire. Object Type: painting. Genre: portrait. Date: between 1601 and 1650. Dimensions: height: 207 cm (81.4 in) ; width: 123 cm (48.4 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Depicted People: Philip II of Spain. Collection: Museo del Prado. Felipe II, con la armadura de San Quintín
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