Spanish school; c. 1700.

Spanish school; c. 1700.
"Philip V."
Oil on copper.
It has an antique frame.
Measurements: 13 x 11 cm; 17 x 15 cm (frame).
This work follows the model of the first official portrait in which Philip V is represented dressed in the Spanish style, an image of deep political and symbolic significance within the context of the Hispanic monarchy of the early eighteenth century. The work presents the monarch with a long bust, arranged in an interior of classical roots that reinforces the idea of continuity, order and dynastic legitimacy. The architectural space, sober and solemn, acts as a timeless frame for the royal figure, underlining his authority and his insertion in a tradition of power that refers both to Antiquity and to the heritage of the Habsburgs.
Philip V, son of the Grand Dauphin of France and first monarch of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain, was born in Versailles on December 19, 1683. He was proclaimed king of Spain on November 24, 1700, in a moment of deep political instability marked by the War of Succession, and died in Madrid on July 9, 1746. His accession to the throne was a delicate balance between his French origin and the need to assert himself as a legitimate sovereign before his new subjects, a circumstance that explains the symbolic importance of this portrait.
The monarch appears dressed in black "Spanish style", a choice charged with political intention that refers to the austerity and decorum traditionally associated with the Spanish court of the 17th century. This attire, heir to the model imposed by the Habsburgs, acts as a conscious gesture of identification with the national tradition, distancing himself from French fashion and underlining his desire for integration and continuity. The blue sash that crosses his chest, together with the Golden Fleece hanging from his neck, reinforce his status as a sovereign and his membership in one of the most prestigious knightly orders in Europe, a symbol of legitimacy, honor and dynastic power.