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Charles IV of Spain and His Family
Francisco Goya · Rococo & Neoclassicism
- Artist
- Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828)
- Date
- 1800
- Dimensions
- 280 x 336 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
This large group portrait shows King Charles IV of Spain, Queen Maria Luisa and thirteen members of the royal family, standing in a row in a room of the palace, dressed in shimmering silks and covered in medals and jewels.
A closer look
At the centre, the queen holds the hands of her two youngest children, while the king stands slightly to the side, his chest glittering with decorations. Goya painted the costumes with dazzling brilliance but showed the faces without flattery: some look vacant, others stiff or awkward. One young woman turns her head away because the future bride of the crown prince had not yet been chosen. In the shadows at the left, Goya himself stands at his easel, a direct reference to Velázquez's Las Meninas. Critics have long debated whether the picture is a frank record or a subtle satire.
