Miguel Jacinto Meléndez

Anonymous sale, M^e Paul Martin, Versailles, 21 November 1971, lot 34 (as Attributed to Giuseppe Maria Crespi);

Where acquired by the family of the present owner.

Miguel Jacinto Meléndez (1679–1734) quickly forged a reputation as a portrait painter at the Madrid court and was one of the key painters in the artistic renewal that followed the end of the Baroque period under the Habsburgs. Appointed honorary painter and then painter to King Philip V – grandson of Louis XIV who ascended the throne upon the death of Charles II of Spain – he produced many official portraits for the royal family. His works show the influence of the Flemish School, especially Van Dyck, as is perceptible in his rendering of details, the model’s posture and his palette. While it was Jean Ranc’s arrival at court that played a decisive role in the transformation of Spanish art in the eighteenth century, Meléndez remains a key figure in the transition from Late Baroque to the beginnings of the Spanish Rococo style.

About twenty portraits of King Philip V by him are known, the earliest dating to 1707. Initially reflecting the facial features typical of the Habsburgs – a prominent jaw, a large mouth and an aquiline nose – Meléndez gradually began to idealize his model and harmonize the facial proportions, in order to avoid any suggestion of caricature.

The present portrait may be compared to two others by the artist, one dated 1718–1722 (Madrid, Museo del Prado, inv. P007603), the other 1726 (Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de España, BNEM CE0102). These works demonstrate the evolution of Meléndez’s style as well as the political function of court portraits under the reign of the Bourbons. They reflect the changing political circumstances of the time and the blending of Spanish and French culture, with the aim of affirming the legitimacy of the new Spanish King.

In three-quarter view, wearing a wig in the French style, a cuirass covered by a cloak, a jabot and the blue riband of the Order of the Holy Spirit and the Toison d’Or, King Philip V of Spain has his gaze fixed on the viewer. With a palette dominated by cool tones, Meléndez pays meticulous attention to the rendering of textures: luxurious fabrics, the details of the cloak, the royal insignia. He plays on chiaroscuro light effects, placing the figure of the King in a dark space crossed by a ray of light, in the manner of Spanish portraits of the seventeenth century. While the French influence is visible in the sovereign’s appearance, the legacy of royal Habsburg portraits is also apparent, especially in the treatment of the nose and lips, though the overall image he creates is more harmonious, even idealized. The King holds a staff of office in his right hand, while with his left he points to a battle scene in the background, asserting his military power and his ability to rule his new kingdom.