Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660), Queen Mariana of Austria, 1652–1653, oil on canvas, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, (P001191), © Photographic Archive Museo Nacional del Prado
- DATE:
- TIME:
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- SPEAKER:
- Museum Educator
Enjoy a tour of Diego Velázquez’s magnificent portrait Queen Mariana of Austria, on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. View Velázquez’s work in proximity to those by other 17th-century Spanish painters such as Francisco de Zurbarán and Jusepe de Ribera, as well as artists whose works were collected by the Habsburg court, including Nicolas Poussin and Peter Paul Rubens.
EVENT DETAILS
- Fee:
- Free with museum admission.
- Details:
- Space is limited to 20 participants. Sign up is required and is taken at the Information Desk when the museum opens on a first come, first served basis.
- Location:
- Meets in Entrance Gallery
Related Events
Tours & Talks:
Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen
Enjoy a tour of Diego Velázquez’s magnificent portrait Queen Mariana of Austria, on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. View Velázquez’s work in proximity to those by other 17th-century Spanish painters such as Francisco de Zurbarán and Jusepe de Ribera, as well as artists whose works were collected by the Habsburg court, including Nicolas Poussin and Peter Paul Rubens. MORE INFO
Tours & Talks:
Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen
Enjoy a tour of Diego Velázquez’s magnificent portrait Queen Mariana of Austria, on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. View Velázquez’s work in proximity to those by other 17th-century Spanish painters such as Francisco de Zurbarán and Jusepe de Ribera, as well as artists whose works were collected by the Habsburg court, including Nicolas Poussin and Peter Paul Rubens. MORE INFO
Lectures:
Dressing Queen Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria wears a stunning black-and-silver dress in Velázquez’s iconic portrait. Did dresses like this really exist? If so, how were they made? And what was it like to wear them? In this lecture, the author of Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez explores the materials and techniques that went into making courtly dresses in 17th-century Spain and reveals the hidden undergarments that created the queen’s unnatural silhouette. Lifting the curtain from the portrait, Amanda Wunder introduces the skilled court artisans who worked behind the scenes to dress the Spanish queen and brings to life the flesh-and-blood woman who lived behind the masklike makeup and heavy wig in Velázquez’s famous painting. MORE INFO
Lectures:
Velázquez in Context
In this lecture, Guillaume Kientz delves into Velázquez’s life and work, drawing from research associated with his critically acclaimed exhibition at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, and related publications. MORE INFO
Lectures:
The Woman in Velázquez’s Portrait: The Historical Significance of Queen Mariana of Austria
Millions of visitors to the Museo del Prado have seen Velázquez’s splendid portrait of Queen Mariana of Austria (1634–1696), although few of them are fully aware of her historical significance. From the age of 11, when negotiations over her marriage began, until her death from breast cancer, Mariana’s life intertwined with some of the most important events in European history. Many of these events she influenced directly as regent of Spain’s global empire during the minority of her son Charles II (r. 1665–1700). In this lecture, Mitchell, the author of Queen, Mother, and Stateswoman: Mariana of Austria and the Government of Spain, establishes the dynastic, diplomatic and historical legacy Mariana built during a lifetime spent at the highest levels of politics. MORE INFO
Tours & Talks:
Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen
Enjoy a tour of Diego Velázquez’s magnificent portrait Queen Mariana of Austria, on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. View Velázquez’s work in proximity to those by other 17th-century Spanish painters such as Francisco de Zurbarán and Jusepe de Ribera, as well as artists whose works were collected by the Habsburg court, including Nicolas Poussin and Peter Paul Rubens. MORE INFO
Films & Performances:
Portrait of Mariana of Austria
Approached as a narrative, Portrait of Mariana of Austria for viola and harp encapsulates the life of Mariana through four introspective vignettes: Childhood, Marriage, Political Influence and Retirement. This piece was written by the Los Angeles–based Spanish composer Martí Noguer especially for the Museum’s presentation of Velázquez’s painting. The performance features two musicians from Spain: violist Albert Coronado Daza, a 2024 member of the Spanish Young Music Talents program, and harpist Cristina Montes Mateo, principal harpist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Co-presented with SPAIN Arts & Culture, the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain. MORE INFO