Spanish School, 1793.

Spanish School, 1793.
“Portrait of Don José Ladrón de Guevara.”
Oil on canvas.
Features a coat of arms and an identifying and chronological inscription on the left side.
It shows cracking and slight wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 91.5 × 76.5 cm.

The extensive inscription identifies the subject as Don José Ladrón de Guevara, frigate accountant of the Royal Navy and deputy naval administrator in Ciudadela and its district, depicted at the age of forty-three in 1793. The position of frigate accountant belonged to the Navy’s former administrative corps, a fact that places the work within the context of official portraiture linked to the Spanish monarchy’s naval service.

The subject is depicted in a half-length portrait, wearing a dark tunic and a richly embroidered red waistcoat, gazing firmly at the viewer. The simplicity of the background focuses attention on the face and the richness of the attire, while the family coat of arms and the inscription balance the composition and establish his identity, rank, and post. This combination of portraiture, heraldry, and professional record lends the painting significant historical, documentary, and genealogical interest.