Spanish school; circa 1830.

Spanish school; circa 1830.
"Fernando VII".
Oil on canvas.
Preserves original canvas with restorations.
Measurements: 70 x 58 cm.
The portrait offers us the effigy of one of the most controversial Spanish monarchs, King Ferdinand VII, popularly known by the nicknames of "The Desired" and "The Felon". Recognized as a legitimate king by the Spanish people during the Napoleonic occupation, after being restored to the throne he revealed himself, however, as an absolutist sovereign, with a vengeful and treacherous personality, surrounded by a cohort of sycophants. The monarch was portrayed by painters as outstanding as Vicente López or Francisco de Goya and all these portraits show some peculiar features, which allow us to recognize the effigy in the painting we now present. The most outstanding feature is undoubtedly the marked prognathism of the lower jaw that characterized Ferdinand VII, as well as other monarchs of the Spanish crown. The jaw protrudes from the plane of the face, giving the sitter a serious, even grim expression, despite the evident youth of the model, who appears dressed as a captain general of the armies. The model presents a somewhat martial attitude, in accordance with the character of an official portrait, despite this, the artist has dispensed with any symbolic element outside the uniform of the character, and this is presented in front of a monochrome background, of dark tone, against which the figure is clearly outlined, illuminated by a frontal focus of light, external to the composition, which especially affects the face. The painter has also worked carefully on the uniform, depicting in detail each of the insignia and taking interest in the different textures of the various pieces of clothing.