GASPAR DE CRAYER Antwerp, Belgium (1584) / Ghent, Belgium (

Oil on canvas. Provenance: Collection of the Marquis of Leganes; Collection of the Count of Altamira; Collection of the Duke of Baena; Collection of the Marquis of Astorga; Collection of the Marquis of Asprillas; Collection of the Countess of Melgar; from there by succession to its current owners. Bibliography: Diaz Padron, M., “Gaspar de Crayer: That passage through Burgos and three new unpublished paintings for its catalogue”, in Proceedings of the XXII National Congress of Art History, vol. I, Burgos, 2019, pp. 717-722, fig. 3. Gaspar de Crayer was one of the most important painters who developed his production in the Spanish Netherlands, standing out in his facet as a portrait painter. His early works include portraits of the kings of Spain and some Spanish governors and officials who held important positions there, as well as members of the Brussels city council. An example is the Portrait of the Marquis of Leganes, painted by Crayer between 1627 and 1628. Crayer, a soldier, politician, and great collector, was among the works. The portrait shown here comes from his important collection of paintings, in which the number 485 can still be seen, corresponding to the postmortem inventory of Vicente Joaquin Osorio de Moscoso, 15th Count of Altamira, heir to the Marquis's collection. The identity of the lady is unknown. Depicted full-length, she stands out for her beautiful features and distinguished bearing, her gaze directed directly at the viewer and standing out against a shadowy gold background. She is unusual in that her arms hang casually at her sides; an unusual technique among contemporary painters, who preferred to rest their subjects' hands on armchairs or carry some kind of object, such as handkerchiefs or fans. She is wearing a black silk dress with a "conque" (a kind of cape collar) worn on women's dresses, very fashionable in the early 17th century, which rose in the back above the shoulders and framed the face. The enormous collar with white tips, matching the sleeves, also enhances this effect, contributing to an image of elegance and distinction, which is completed by the necklace and pear-shaped pearl earrings. The dress's decoration is complemented by a black and a red flower closing the neckline, as well as by a black headdress, adorned with a floral bouquet, which extends behind the neck like a cape. Without a doubt, the source of inspiration for this work is the Portrait of Marie de Medicis painted by Frans Pourbus the Younger (Museo del Prado (P001624), in which the figure adopts the same position in a similar composition, also wearing the same type of clothing. This fact led to her identity being confused with that of the French sovereign in some old inventories.This work was assigned to the work of Gaspar de Crayer by Matias Diaz Padron, highlighting its elegant bearing and singular distinction, as well as the enveloping atmosphere and rosy tones typical of the Flemish painter, whose portraits reveal the influence of Rubens and Van Dyck. Something not mentioned by the renowned specialist in Flemish painting is the formal dependence of this work on the aesthetic ideals and models of Frans Pourbus the Younger (1569-1622). Evidence of this is the appearance in the trade (Lempertz, Germany, Auction of May 20, 2023, lot 2026) of a three-quarter-length portrait by Pourbus of the same lady, from a private Belgian collection. In both paintings, she wears the same dress, jewelry, and headdress, with the exception that in this last work, which appeared on the art market, a small gold pendant with the anagram of the Name of Jesus hangs from her chest. Its provenance once again reinforces the theory that the work shown here must have been acquired by the Marquis of Leganes on his last trip to the Netherlands, around 1634. Measurements: 220 x 127 cm.