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Philip IV, King of Spain, plate 12 from Duces Burgundiae (Dukes of Burgundy)

A work made of engraving and etching in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving and etching in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1644

Artist:

Jacob Louys (Flemish, 1595-after 1644)
after Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640)
border engraved, and print published, by Pieter Claesz. Soutman (Dutch, c. 1580–1657)

About this artwork

Although the reign of King Philip IV of Spain (1605–65) was plagued by political and military decay, the king is perhaps best known for his patronage of the arts, which included many portrait commissions from Peter Paul Rubens. In this etching made by Jacob Louys after a portrait by Rubens, rich decorations of fruit, vegetables, and a wreath of acanthus leaves surround the lavishly costumed king. The artist further identified Philip with his royal lineage by featuring his rather prominent and protruding “Hapsburg lip” and a massive gold chain with a pendant of a small sheep, symbolizing his membership in the powerful Order of the Golden Fleece.

Active in Flanders and the Netherlands, Pieter Soutman was an accomplished painter, draftsman, and printmaker who also acted as a print publisher. The works in this portrait series of the dukes of Burgundy and their wives are distinguished by their elaborate borders, which Soutman designed and engraved himself. The portraits in the center of the compositions are adapted from compositions originated by the favored artists of the Burgundian courts—Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Titian, and, in these two examples (1995.221.1, 1995.221.2), Peter Paul Rubens. Like the genealogical tree represented nearby (2015.13), this series reflects the 17th-century obsession with dynastic succession.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Jacob Louys

Title

Philip IV, King of Spain, plate 12 from Duces Burgundiae (Dukes of Burgundy)

Place

Flanders (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Published 1644

Medium

Engraving and etching in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 40.7 × 28 cm (16 1/16 × 11 1/16 in.); Sheet: 46.3 × 33.4 cm (18 1/4 × 13 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Robert Chase Endowment

Reference Number

1995.221.1

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/140636/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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