María Teresa de Borbón y Vallabriga, later Condesa de Chinchón
1783
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 134.5 x 117.5 cm (52 15/16 x 46 1/4 in.) framed: 154.3 x 136.8 x 5.7 cm (60 3/4 x 53 7/8 x 2 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-B
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection
Accession Number
1970.17.123
Art Historical Context
In 1783, Francisco Goya, a rising star among Spanish painters, created this elegant oil-on-canvas portrait of María Teresa deorbón y Vallabr, who would later become the Condesa Chinchón. At over 14 years old, the young noblewoman is depicted in a poised, aristocratic pose, her luxurious lace and silk attire reflecting the opulence of late 18th-century Bourbon Spain. Measuring 134.5 x 117.5 cm, the canvas captures Goya's early mastery of portraiture, blending Rococo elegance with emerging realism. Painted during Spain's Enlightenment era under Charles III, the work highlights Goya's transition...
About the Artist
Francisco Goya
Francisco Goya, born on March 30, 1746, in the small Aragonese village of Fuendetodos, Spain, to a gilder father and a mother from a family claiming minor nobility, displayed artistic promise early. At age 14, he apprenticed under painter José Luzán y Martínez in Zaragoza, honing his skills by copying prints before working independently. After unsuccessful attempts to enter Madrid's Real Academia ...