Flemish school; first half of the 17th century.

Flemish school; first half of the 17th century.
"Philip II".
Oil on copper.
Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 38 x 32 cm (frame).
Portrait of Philip II in a border of flowers. The bust of the monarch, who is presented with the golden fleece is framed by a profuse floral crown, composed of roses, carnations and tulips as main flowers. As the Catholic husband of Queen Mary I of England, many of his supporters in that country placed their hopes for a definitive conversion to the faith in his figure. Therefore, his portrait was widely reproduced and disseminated among Catholic countries. The author combines the genres of portrait and still life, seeking a greater sumptuousness and a theatrical sense, almost trompe l'oeil, very much to the taste of Baroque painting. It should be noted that, in this type of compositions, the flowers are not simply a secondary or accessory element, but are worked with the same care and quality as the religious image. In fact, sometimes they even show a more skillful hand, since often these works were the result of the collaboration of a painter of flowers and another specialized in the human figure.
Aesthetically the work is close to the models of Brughel or Andries Daniels, who was a painter specializing in the still life of flowers, also active in Antwerp. He appears registered in the Guild of St. Luke of this city in 1599 as a disciple of Pieter Brueghel the Younger, in whose workshop he must have copied some works of Pieter Brughel the Elder. In 1602 he obtained the degree of master and joined the guild as an independent painter.