- Cronología
- Ca. 1795
- Ubicación
- The Prado National Museum. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Dimensiones
- 87 x 72 cm
- Técnica y soporte
- Oil on canvas
- Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
- Documented work
- Titular
- El Prado National Museum
- Ficha: realización/revisión
- 02 Feb 2010 / 15 Jun 2023
- Inventario
- (P02447)
This work was bequeathed to the Prado Museum by Alonso Álvarez de Toledo, XXI Count of Niebla and XV Marquis of Los Vélez. It was accepted by the museum trust on 6 March 1926.
Doña María Antonia Gonzaga y Caracciolo (Madrid, 1735-1801) was, since 1773, the widow of Antonio Álvarez de Toledo, Marquis of Villafranca.
She was a woman of strong character who devoted herself to administrating the assets of her son, the XIII Duke of Alba, and her daughter-in-law.
This half-length portrait shows her seated, wearing a dark outfit adorned with a shawl of white gauze decorated with a blue rose and ribbon, conferring upon her a notable air of elegance. She wears an impressive grey curly wig, decorated with a dark blue bow.
Her hands, rendered with great precision and strength, according to Gudiol, hold a fan, with which she appears to be playing.
Her face, in keeping with that of a woman of sixty, the age of the sitter when Goya painted her, denotes intelligence and astuteness, qualities that would have served her well in the administration of the family assets. Like the majority of Goya's portraits, the figure is depicted in a neutral space, with no spatial references around it. A shaft of light coming from the left-hand side illuminates the figure, highlighting the shawl that covers her shoulders and the delicate, rosy skin of her face.
There is another version of the work ( oil on canvas, 85 x 70 cm, Collection of the heirs of the Marquise de Acapulco) which Valentine Sambricio estimated by Goya.
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Les chefs-d’œuvre du Musée du PradoMusée d’Art et d’HistoireGeneva1939consultant editors Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Pedro Muguruza Otaño. From June to September 1939cat. 19
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Exposición de pintura españolaBelgrade1981cat. 17
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Goya. La década de Los CaprichosMadrid1992organized by Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando sponsored by Fundación Central Hispano, Madrid, consultant editor Nigel Glendinnig. From October 26th 1992 to January 10th 1993cat. 18
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Goya. 250 AniversarioMuseo Nacional del PradoMadrid1996consultant editor Juan J. Luna. From March 29th to June 2nd 1996cat. 88
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Francisco de Goya: Maleri, Tegning, GrafikkNasjonalgallerietOslo1996from 10th to April 14th 1996cat. 13
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Goya: Order and disorderMuseum of Fine ArtsBoston2014cat. 76
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Goya: The PortraitsLondon2015cat. 22
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Goya, su tiempo, su vida, sus obrasMadridTipografía de Manuel G. Hernández, Impresor de la Real Casa1887p.271, cat. CLIV
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L'œuvre peint de Goya. 4 volsParís1928-1950p. 30, cat. 309
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Francisco de Goya, IV Centenario de la CapitalidadMadridExcmo. Ayuntamiento de Madrid y Dirección General de Bellas Artes1961
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Vie et ouvre de Francisco de GoyaParísOffice du livre1970p. 170, cat. 348
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BarcelonaPolígrafa1970vol. I, p. 315, cat. 444
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Francisco de Goya, 4 vols.ZaragozaCaja de Ahorros de Zaragoza, Aragón y Rioja1980-1982vol. III, p.126
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La década de los Caprichos. Retratos 1792-1804MadridReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando1992p. 121, cat. 18
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Goya. 250 AniversarioMadridMuseo del Prado1996pp.180 (il.) y 366, cat. 88
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Goya: Order & DisorderBostonMuseum of Fine Arts Boston Publications2014pp.142-143
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LondonNational Gallery Company2015pp. 89-91