The Family of Charles IV
by Francisco Goya, 1801
Details
- Year
- 1801
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 280 cm × 336 cm (110.2 × 132.3 in)
Francisco Goya painted The Family of Charles IV in 1800-1801, grouping the Spanish royal family in their finest clothing and jewels. King Charles IV and Queen María Luisa stand at center, surrounded by their children and relatives. Goya himself appears painting in the shadows at left, echoing Velázquez's Las Meninas.
Critics have long debated whether Goya subtly mocked his patrons. The faces seem unsparingly realistic, the queen domineering, the king passive. Yet the royal family loved the portrait. Either they didn't notice any satire, or Goya balanced criticism with enough flattery to please them.
The brilliant fabrics shimmer with silk and gold embroidery. The Prado displays this monumental canvas as both a technical work and a psychological study of power.
