Isabel de Bourbon on horseback, after Velázquez
Original title: Isabel de Bourbon on horseback, after Velázquez
kurzbeschreibung
In 1778 Francisco de Goya produced this etching after a painting by Diego Velázquez, portraying the Spanish queen Isabel de Bourbon on horseback. Executed in etching and drypoint, the plate measures 37 × 31.1 cm. The sheet belongs to a series of reproductive prints after works by the court painter.
Description
A rider appears in a sumptuous long-sleeved gown with a fur mantle, her hair tied in a knot. The horse is in motion, its left hind leg raised, head slightly inclined to the left. Trees and hills are only faintly suggested in the background. Grayscale dominates the image, whose precise linework extends into detail. A text at the lower margin names the sitter and the source that the print follows.
Context
The etching was made in 1778 as part of a series of reproductive prints after paintings by Velázquez, commissioned by King Charles III. Velázquez's original portrait of Queen Isabel de Bourbon on horseback, painted around 1635, shows the wife of Philip IV. Through printmaking, Goya made the works of his famous predecessor accessible to a wider audience. The series is considered an important step in Goya's development toward independent graphic art.
Impact
Precise draftsmanship and finely graduated gray tones give the sheet an elegant, formal presence. A tension between movement and stillness arises from the horse's animated pose and the rider's calm, dignified appearance. Courtly splendor and artistic mastery are conveyed in equal measure.
Technique
Etching and drypoint allow for fine, detailed linework. The plate was first etched with acid, then additional lines were scratched directly into the metal to achieve stronger effects. Printing was done on paper; the gray tones arise from varying density and direction of the strokes.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)