Allegory of the Death of Philip IV (1605-1665)
Medium
Pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash over traces of black chalk underdrawing. Composition outlines in pen and dark brown ink on all four borders of sheet
Dimensions
9-9/16 x 6-1/4 in. (24.3 x 15.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Harry G. Sperling, 1971
Accession Number
1975.131.221
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the hallowed halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Drawings and Prints lies a poignant preparatory drawing: *Allegory of the Death of Philip IV (1605-1665)* by Spanish artist Sebastián de Herrera-Barnuevo (c. 1619–1671). This intimate sheet captures the somber drama of Spain's Habsburg king, who reigned during a turbulent era of artistic splendor and imperial decline. Through allegorical figures of men and women, Herrera-Barnuevo evokes the king's mortality, blending royal reverence with Baroque theatricality—a hallmark of 17th-century Spanish court culture. Crafted with ...