File talk:Juan de Flandes 002.jpg

Question regarding the (possible) identity of the subject

Recently I was checking the factual accuracy of a claim in en:Red hair regarding the identity of the subject of this painting. According to the the painting's informational page at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, the subject thought possibly to be Catherine of Aragon rather than her older sister en:Joanna of Castile (aka Joanna or Joan the Mad, in Spanish Juana La Loca). Juan de Flandes did paint a portrait of Johanna, shown here. Based on the museum's title "Retrato de una Infanta (¿Catalina de Aragón?)" and my limited parsing of the text, I added a factual accuracy tag on the image, but I didn't want to change the description given my relatively unsophisticated level of Spanish. Other opinions would be appreciated. Thanks. --Dfred 07:28, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

Good job to the person who originally flagged this portrait! You were correct in doing so instead of editing or deleting the original information. By providing source information and links pertaining to your argument, you allow others opportunity to research further. I found that once you access the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza website, you may also select a preferred language. Below is an excerpt from the museum catalogue text (the English language version) relevant not only to the identity of the sitter, but also the identity of the artist it's attributed to. Additional information can be found on the museum website.

FLANDES, Juan de

Portrait of an Infante (Catherine of Aragon?), c. 1496

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

http://www.museothyssen.org/thyssen_ing/coleccion/obras_ficha_texto723.html

This portrait, attributed to Juan de Flandes by Friedländer, has similarities with the pair in the Kunsthistorisches Museum which have been identified as Juana de Castilla (Joanna of Castille) and Felipe el Hermoso (Philip the Fair). As Elisa Bermejo has noted, the backgrounds of these paintings are similarly painted, both in the colour used and the distribution of the shadows which define them. The similarity between the two female figures in Madrid and Vienna is undeniable, again suggesting their shared origins.

The date of 1496 which has been suggested for the Thyssen painting would make the Infanta Catherine, born in 1485, eleven years old. This date fits in with the apparent age of the sitter and with Juan de Flandes's style at the end of the century.

However, the identification is not certain.

The painting has also been suggested to be a portrait of Juana de Castilla, although again this is not definite, while other scholars have preferred to call the painting Portrait of a Girl.

The fact that the sitter holds a rose bud has given rise to two different interpretations. Sterling interpreted the rose as a symbol of the Tudor dynasty (Catherine married Arthur, Prince of Wales in 1501). Elisa Bermejo, however, considers the flower as an attribute related to the sitter's very young age.

Mar Borobia - Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid