Rubens portrait connects Spanish and Portuguese royals
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The Royal Collections Gallery in Madrid began displaying Pedro Pablo Rubens’s painting of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal, a work on loan from the Casa de Alba Foundation. The painting will remain on exhibit until January 17, 2027.
Rubens created the portrait in 1628, basing it on an earlier work by Titian from 1548. Charles V commissioned Titian to paint Isabella’s portrait after her death in 1539, wanting an idealized image reflecting his memories.
The original Titian painting was lost when the Alcázar of Madrid burned in 1734, making Rubens’s version the only remaining depiction of the original. Rubens saw both the original Titian and the Royal Collections during a diplomatic trip to the court of Philip IV, inspiring him to create his own rendition. The portrait features the emperors in dark clothing set against a red backdrop, with a view resembling the Guadarrama mountain range visible behind them.
A clock on a table symbolizes the passage of time and Charles V’s longing for his late wife. The Casa de Alba Foundation acquired the painting in 1936 after it had been in the United Kingdom since being purchased by Charles I of England.
