Description
Isabel de Bourbon appears on horseback, her royal presence joined to the movement and bearing of the animal beneath her. The equestrian format gives the sitter a public character, presenting rank through a body placed above the surrounding ground. The figure and horse together form an image of ceremony whose authority depends on their composed relationship.
Goya made this etching and drypoint in 1778 after Velázquez’s painted portrait. The printed interpretation translates the earlier work into fine lines and varied tonal marks, keeping attention on the recognizable sitter while giving the horse its own physical presence. The image is engaging through the balance of individual likeness and formal display, showing how a royal portrait can make costume, posture and an animal’s bearing part of the same statement.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Goya collection.
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