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Primary sourcePainting1800-1801

Charles IV of Spain and His Family

Francisco Goya · 1800-1801

Goya's large group portrait of the Spanish royal family, painted while he served as First Court Painter, with Goya himself visible in the shadows.

Goya painted this as the newly appointed First Court Painter, including a self-portrait of himself at work in the shadows.

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Group portrait of the Spanish royal family in a palace room. Richly dressed figures stand in a dim interior before a large dark painting, with a landscape window at right. King Charles IV in a brown embroidered coat and sash stands at center right, a queen in a white and gold gown at center, and children and adults surround them.
Francisco Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800-1801. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

About this source

What it is

An oil-on-canvas group portrait by Francisco Goya, begun in 1800 and completed in 1801, now held at the Museo del Prado, Madrid. It shows King Charles IV, his wife Maria Luisa of Parma, and their extended family in fine dress, modelled partly on Velázquez's Las Meninas, with Goya himself visible painting at the left.

Why it matters

Painted the year after Goya became First Chamber Painter, the highest position for a Spanish artist, the work shows his direct access to the royal family and his engagement with the tradition of Velázquez. Some later viewers read the painting as an unflattering, even satirical look at the monarchy, though others argue it is closer to an idealised, respectful portrait. Either way, it documents Goya's place at the heart of the Spanish court on the eve of political upheaval.

Look closer

  • Where is Goya in the painting, and what does his placement suggest about his role?
  • Why might Goya have chosen to model this work after Velázquez's Las Meninas?
  • Do the family members look flattered, ordinary, or something else to you?

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