Portrait of Infante Philip III of Spain, as a child, Inscribed: PHILLIPUS PRINCEPS HISP. PHIL. II REGIS FILIUS,
oil on canvas, 105 x 154.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
European Private Collection

The present portrait is the future King Philip III of Spain at around 15 years old, dressed in armour and with a rapier and the Order of the Golden Fleece. It is similar to a portrait of the same sitter by Pantoja de la Cruz (M. Kusche Juan Pantoja de la Crus y sus seguidores, 2007, pp. 55-60). The composition of this work, including details such as the helmet on the right and the column on the left, is reminiscent of Titian’s portrayals of Charles V and Philip II. The present painting could be by the hand of Blas de Prado or another follower of Alonso Sanchez Coello.

The horizontal format is very unusual for a portrait of a Spanish prince at this time. It was probably intended as part of a series of portraits to hang on the upper level of a reception room or a library.

Philip III (Madrid 1578–1621) was the fifth child of Philip II of Spain and his fourth wife, Anna of Austria. Philip III ruled the lands belonging to the Spanish throne from 1598 to 1621 and during his reign Spain reached its zenith as a world power.