Skip to main content

Primary sourcePaintingc. 1486

Virgin of Mercy with the Catholic Monarchs and their family

Diego de la Cruz · c. 1486

An altarpiece painting from around 1486 showing Isabella and Ferdinand with their children sheltered beneath the Virgin's cloak.

Isabella is shown kneeling with her family beneath the Virgin's cloak, reflecting the royal court's self-image.

Ask Queen Isabella I about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Painting of the Virgin of Mercy standing with outspread cloak, crowned with a halo, sheltering kneeling figures in royal and religious dress. Two devils with arrows flank her at upper left and right, and nuns in black veils kneel at the right.
Diego de la Cruz, Virgin of Mercy with the Catholic Monarchs and their family, c. 1486.

About this source

What it is

This painting, made around 1486 by Diego de la Cruz, shows the Catholic Monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon together with members of their family, kneeling before the Virgin of Mercy. It also includes their children and a cardinal, with nuns depicted at the side.

Why it matters

Made during Isabella's reign, this painting reflects how the royal family wished to be seen: pious, protected by divine favor, and surrounded by powerful religious figures like Cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza. It offers a window into the religious and political image-making of the Spanish court at the height of Isabella and Ferdinand's power.

Look closer

  • Who is shown kneeling beneath the Virgin's cloak, and why might they be placed there?
  • Why might a royal family choose to be painted this way, tied closely to religious imagery?
  • What does the presence of nuns and a cardinal tell you about who held influence at court?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Queen Isabella I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Queen Isabella I sources

Meet the AI Queen Isabella I →
Scan of a handwritten Spanish manuscript page in old script, with signatures below the text, a wax seal impression on a diamond-shaped paper flap at lower right, and additional scribbled signatures at lower left.Document

Primary source

Alhambra Decree

Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon · 31 March 1492

Open bound register showing two manuscript pages of handwritten Spanish legal text in brown ink on aged parchment, with a signature and date line near the top right of the right page. Dark background surrounds the book.Document

Primary source

Capitulations of Santa Fe

Catholic Monarchs · 17 April 1492

Photograph of a handwritten manuscript page in brown and black ink in Gothic-style script, with decorated illuminated capital letters at the top and middle. Blue circular library stamps reading Lisboa and Biblioteca Nacional appear at the top and bottom, along with a handwritten shelfmark and signatures at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Treaty of Tordesillas

7 June 1494

Document

Primary source

Testament of Isabella I of Castile

Isabella I of Castile · 12 October 1504

Painted portrait of a woman against a dark background, shown from the shoulders up. She wears a white veil covering her head, a white embroidered blouse with black patterned stripes, and a dark gown. A gold cross pendant hangs from a pearl-edged ornament at her chest. Her blue eyes look directly forward.Painting

Primary source

Portrait of Isabella the Catholic

Juan de Flandes · c. 1500

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Queen Isabella I now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions