Comparative works
Five other important sixteenth-century Spanish portraits in the Stirling Maxwell Collection have been selected for comparative study with the Lady in a Fur Wrap. These are by El Greco and other contemporary artists working during this ‘Golden Age’ of Spanish painting.
Philip II, King of Spain
Compared with the remarkable informality of the Lady in a Fur Wrap, the magnificent portrait of Philip II is one of the finest examples of an image of political power by the king’s favourite portrait painter.
Alonso Sánchez Coello (1531/32-1588), Philip II, King of Spain, oil on canvas, c1570. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
Anne of Austria, 4th Queen of Philip II of Spain
The portrait of Philip’s fourth Queen is more typical of the few representations of women in this period in its formality and the rich, high-necked dress and ruff.
Alonso Sánchez Coello (1531/32-1588), Anne of Austria, 4th Queen of Philip II of Spain, oil on canvas, c1570. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
Don John of Austria
The portrait of Philip II’s half-brother, Don John of Austria, attributed to Jorge de la Rúa, also shows the formality of the dominant court style.
Attributed to Jorge de la Rúa (active 1552-1578), Don John of Austria, oil on canvas. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
Portrait of a Gentleman
El Greco’s Portrait of a Gentleman is an example of the later style of the artist and is likely to represent a high-ranking member of society in Toledo around the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries.
El Greco (1541–1614), Portrait of a Gentleman, oil on canvas, c1590. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
Portrait of a Knight in Armour
The miniature Portrait of a Knight in Armour is one of many playing-card sized portraits in this period and is attributable to the Circle of El Greco.
Portrait of a Knight in Armour, Spanish 16th century, oil on card, mounted on wood. © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection