Description of the picture:
Portrait of Diego de Villamayor – Juan Pantocha de la Cruz. 1605. Oil on canvas. 88.5×70.5
The talent of the Spanish painter Juan Pantoja de la Cruz was especially evident in the field of ceremonial portrait of the time of the Habsburgs. The court painter was not supposed to explore the emotions and convey the inner experiences of the people depicted on his canvases, who imposingly pose, showing their high position and wealth.
However, the “Portrait of Diego de Vilmayeur” attracts attention with its special expressiveness and truthful transmission of the image. A seventeen-year-old young man from a noble family appears before the viewer in elegant burnished steel armor with a gold ornament and in a lush pleated collar – a clear sign of a secular costume, dressed for appearance at the court, and not military campaigns. On the hero’s chest is a knightly order of Alcantara. Jewels and smart little things emphasize the true characterization of a Spanish grande that is confident in its significance. In his image is the whole aristocratic Spain of the times of Philip III of Habsburg."
