Miguel Jacinto Meléndez Circle

Circle of MIGUEL JACINTO MELÉNDEZ (Oviedo, 1679-Madrid, 1734); c. 1700.
"Portrait of Philip V.
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 77 x 63 cm.
This Portrait of Felipe V, ascribed to the circle of Miguel Jacinto Meléndez (Oviedo, 1679-Madrid, 1734), is inscribed in the first years of the XVIII century, in the context of dynastic affirmation of the new bourbon house in Spain. The effigy responds to a consolidated courtly model, which shows the monarch dressed in black, following both the prototypes disseminated by Meléndez and, ultimately, the famous official portrait established by Hyacinthe Rigaud for the French monarchy.
The sobriety of the black attire, heir to the Hispanic aulic tradition, is combined with the compositional elegance of French roots, articulating an image of restrained majesty. The king is depicted with a firm bearing, serene gesture and distant gaze, attributes that underline the legitimacy and stability of his government after the War of Succession. The lighting models the face with delicacy, highlighting the pale complexion and powdered wig, distinctive elements of Bourbon iconography.
The work reveals the characteristics of a workshop or circle: fidelity to the official model, careful but less meticulous workmanship than the court originals, and priority attention to the physiognomic resemblance and the symbolic attributes of power. Relined and with visible restorations, the canvas testifies to its value as a representative image probably destined for administrative or noble environments where it was essential to affirm the symbolic presence of the sovereign.
In short, this painting is a significant example of the diffusion of the official Bourbon portrait in Spain, where the local pictorial tradition dialogues with French refinement to build a new image of the monarchy at the dawn of the 18th century.