Portret van Karel II, koning van Spanje

About this artwork

Aankoop met steun van de Vereniging Rembrandt

Art Historical Context

This striking portrait captures Charles II of Spain (1661–1700), the last ruler of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty, during his reign. Created by Dutch artist Jan van Somer between 1671 and 1700, the work on paper offers a glimpse into the turbulent political landscape of late seventeenth-century Europe. Charles II’s fragile health and the complex web of royal intermarriages that defined his era made his image a subject of intense diplomatic and public interest across the continent. Van Somer, active in the Dutch Republic, specialized in reproductive prints that brought royal likenesses to wider ...