Phillip IV King of Spain

The print Phillip IV King of Spain was created by Édouard Manet (French, 1832-1883) in 1862, specifically executed after the seminal portrait by Spanish Golden Age master Diego Velázquez. Manet, profoundly influenced by the Spanish school, initiated a series of printmaking efforts to study and disseminate the work of Velázquez among his contemporaries in France. This print, executed early in Manet's career, illustrates his commitment to exploring light, line, and composition outside the constraints of painting, furthering the dialogue between historical realism and burgeoning modernism.

This impression, classified as a Print, utilizes etching, drypoint, and the selective inking technique known as retroussage to achieve rich, modulated blacks and velvety shadows consistent with the original subject. The work is presented as a chine collé impression, where the delicate imagery, printed in black on thin ivory chine paper, is carefully laid down onto a heavier ivory wove backing sheet. This layering enhances the subtlety of the etched lines while ensuring the stability of the print.

Manet’s commitment to capturing the dignified yet aloof power of the Spanish monarch established this piece as a key work in his study of the Old Masters. Works like this demonstrate the rapid spread of artistic influence through reproducible prints in the nineteenth century, bridging the gap between historical Spanish figures and modern French art. This important image is held within the distinguished permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While original impressions of Manet’s influential prints are preserved in museum archives, high-quality images of this classic work are often available through public domain resources for scholarly study.