A series of Prado Museum French School portraits in relation to Marie Louise of Orleans´collection: suggestions and precisions.

Abstract

Charles II’s first wife, Queen Marie Louise of Orleans (1662-1689), put together a collection of paintings, mainly composed of portraits, at the Alcázar of Madrid. At the queen's death, her collection became part of the royal collection. However, none of the original paintings have been correlated with any of the works currently preserved. This article analyzes a series of portraits of relatives of the queen, nowadays preserved in the Prado Museum, and, based on the study of the royal inventories, argues that they come from the aforementioned collection. It also suggests the identification of some of the depicted characters who hitherto were listed as unknown or with a different identity.

Keywords

• María Luisa de Orleans. Carlos II. Alcázar de Madrid. Inventarios reales. Retratos. Pintura francesa del siglo XVII.