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Secondary sourcePainting15th century

Wedding Portrait of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile

Unknown · 15th century

A traditional portrait said to show Ferdinand and Isabella together, though its date and painter are uncertain.

This traditional portrait depicts Isabella beside her husband Ferdinand, though its authenticity as a life portrait is uncertain.

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Painting of two figures side by side against a dark background. On the left, a man with shoulder-length brown hair wears a dark robe with a gold chain and a white shirt. On the right, a woman wears a dark veil, a pearl necklace, and a reddish-brown gown with a brooch.
Unknown artist, Wedding portrait of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, 15th century.

About this source

What it is

This painting shows a man and a woman side by side against a dark background, traditionally identified as King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. Its painter is unknown and it was likely made after their marriage, in the 15th century.

Why it matters

Because the actual artist and exact date are unknown, this portrait is best understood as a later image of the famous royal couple rather than a portrait made from life. It shows how later generations imagined and remembered Isabella and Ferdinand, whose marriage united the crowns of Castile and Aragon.

Look closer

  • What clues in the clothing or jewelry suggest wealth and status?
  • Why might people continue to paint images of a famous couple long after they lived?
  • What can't we know for certain about this image, and why does that matter?

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.

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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

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