Portrait of Philip, King of Spain, Louis Michelle van Loo

Description of the picture:

Portrait of Philip, King of Spain – Louis Michel van Loo. Around 1739. Oil on canvas. 154×113.5   Louis Michel van Loo (1707-1771) – a representative of the illustrious dynasty of French painters of Dutch descent. The future master studied with his own father and uncle. He lived in Italy for a couple of years, then moved to Paris, where he entered the Tsar’s Academy of Painting and Statues. In the period from one thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven, one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two was the court painter of the Spanish King Philip V. In one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two, he was appointed director of the Academy of the San Fernando of Madrid.   The portrait of the lord of Spain is depicted dressed in armor and standing against the backdrop of the landscape. He openly looks at the viewer, beautifully putting his hand in a leather glove on his waist, tied with a bright scarlet waving fabric. The master perfectly conveyed the texture of metal, silk and leather. The range of the canvas is built on a combination of muted grayish, blue, greenish and brown colors. Masterfully painted colorful accents not only complement and revive the colorful structure of the picture, but also add a tone of solemnity to it."