At the Magnani-Rocca Foundation, in the countryside of Parma, visitors can view “The Family of the Infante Don Luis,” the largest and most important painting by Goya outside Spain.

The large painting was executed by Goya between 1783 and 1784. The artist began the work at the La Mosquera Palace in Arenas de San Pedro, southwest of Madrid in the province of Ávila, the residence of Infante Luis de Borbón, the youngest brother of King Charles III of Spain. Passed down to María Teresa, the Infante’s daughter and Countess of Chinchón, who married Prime Minister Manuel Godoy in 1797, the painting was relocated around 1820 to the Palace of Boadilla del Monte near the capital. It was subsequently inherited by Carlota Luisa de Godoy y Borbón, the only daughter of the Countess of Chinchón, who married Roman Prince Camillo Ruspoli in 1821 and died at the age of 86 in 1886. Listed in the Inventario de todos los cuadros, pinturas, marcos sueltos y estampas que quedan colocados en el Palacio de Boadilla (Inventory of all the paintings, frames, and prints housed in the Boadilla Palace) on May 27, 1832, and again in a subsequent inventory circa 1850, the painting was still recorded in the inventory of 1886 upon Carlota Luisa’s death. It passed to the Ruspoli heirs and was moved in June 1904 to the family’s palace in Florence. Luigi Magnani acquired it in 1974. In Spain, a period copy of the painting is held by the Dukes of Sueca.

This masterpiece stands as the most significant pictorial testament to Goya’s early maturity, marking his admission into the Spanish high society. The painter was officially introduced to Don Luis’s court by José Moñino y Redondo, Count of Floridablanca, who had recently been portrayed by Goya.

Group portraiture was not a widely practiced genre in Spain beyond Las Meninas by Velázquez. It is likely that Goya studied contemporary examples only during his trip to Italy between 1770 and 1771, including works by Batoni and Benefial in Rome, Alessandro Longhi and Giandomenico Tiepolo in Venice, and Baldrighi in Parma. The Family of the Infante Don Luis is a revolutionary work, a monumental testament to the status of modern man, delving into a world of ambiguous realities, shifting emotions, and indecipherable relationships among its figures. With Goya, art refrains from offering explicit meanings, instead highlighting unanswered questions and the unresolved enigmas of his era and beyond.

Don Luis Antonio Jaime de Borbón y Farnesio (1727–1785), the sixth son of Philip V and Elisabeth Farnese, was named Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo at the age of eight and later Archbishop of Seville. From a young age, he exhibited a passionate character and a strong inclination toward a freer life. In 1754, at 27, he renounced his cardinalate to pursue hunting, art collecting, and romantic escapades. Surrounded by artists, including Mengs, who portrayed him in 1776 and advised him in forming his private gallery at the Royal Palace of Madrid, he was also a figure of interest to Giacomo Casanova, who described him in his diaries as a man of rare ugliness (laid à faire peur), torn between sacred and carnal passions.

The painting represents a pivotal moment in Goya’s career, merging ceremonial elements with informality to depict a scene in which Don Luis, his children, and key members of his court entourage observe María Teresa having her hair styled, likely in preparation for a portrait by Goya himself. Positioned in the painting’s left corner with a palette, brushes, and a painter’s stick, Goya looks directly toward María Teresa, underscoring his central role in capturing this intimate yet grand tableau.

The scene takes place in a dimly lit room where a heavy green curtain serves as a backdrop, resembling a stage set, with only the left pillar of what appears to be a portal visible. The bold diagonal created by the figures on the right and left, mirrored by the drapery behind them, directs the viewer’s gaze toward the center. There, María Teresa, wearing a sumptuous and radiant white gown, looks at us kindly. Her hair is being prepared before she dons an elaborate chamber cap, which one of the maids holds ready on a silver tray. Another maid holds a silver box, likely containing powder for her hair. To María Teresa’s right stands Don Luis—at the age of 56, depicted with thinning hair, wrinkled skin, and a red nose, perhaps due to snuff (a red handkerchief peeks from his pocket)—as he plays cards on a green velvet-covered table shaped in an unusual manner, upon which a silver candelabrum with a lit candle prominently stands.

To Don Luis’s left, also in profile, is the young Luis María (1777–1823), dressed in blue with his blonde hair tied in a ponytail. The charming contrast between the child and the elderly Don Luis may be intentional, emphasizing the boy’s role as his heir. Their profiles, reminiscent of Roman emperors on coins, could symbolize the Infante’s unjust circumstances and the fact that his son would be denied inheritance of his titles and estates. Next to Luis María, his sister María Teresa (1780–1828) gazes with childlike curiosity at Goya, who is preparing to paint his canvas.

Identification of Figures

Various attempts have been made to identify the other figures. While no contemporary description of the painting exists, archival documents like payroll books from the palace provide clues about the individuals depicted. Among the 550 staff members, it is reasonable to assume that the most important and closest to the Infante were selected for inclusion.

The two women on the left are likely María Teresa’s personal maids, Antonia Vanderbrocht and Petronila Valdearenas. The court’s hairdresser at the time was Santos Garcia. On the opposite side, the governess, Isidra Fuentes y Michel, holds the couple’s third child, María Luisa (1783–1846), who would later become Duchess of San Fernando de Quiroga. At the time, María Luisa appears about one year old in the painting.

The identification of the four remaining figures on the right is more challenging. The ruddy-faced man to the right of the governess might be Don Luis’s secretary, Manuel Moreno. The aristocratic-looking man beside him is often identified as the composer Luigi Boccherini, who served as Don Luis’s chamber composer and cellist from 1770 to 1785. However, despite some resemblance to contemporary portraits, this identification is not certain; he may also be Gregorio Ruiz de Arce, Don Luis’s valet, or Estanislao de Lugo y Molino, Luis María’s tutor, whose profile he mirrors across the canvas. These two figures are the only ones who show polite, albeit minimal, interest in the card game, while the others remain entirely indifferent.

The grinning man wearing what resembles a bandage on his head is particularly difficult to identify. The latest hypothesis suggests he is Francisco del Campo, María Teresa’s private secretary and brother of Marcos del Campo, who had married one of Goya’s sisters-in-law, María Matea Bayeu Subias, in March 1783. It is possible that Francisco del Campo, rather than Floridablanca, facilitated Goya’s initial introduction to the Infante’s household. Goya describes this figure in a letter to Martín Zapater as a person of considerable influence, writing: “He is the boss, and it is said that he is a man of great ability.” Goya portrays him with a dazzling smile, looking directly at the viewer, as if to communicate his lively, albeit simplified, vision of a society in decline. His expression offers the only spark of vitality in an otherwise somber scene.

The austere and elusive figure in gray attire beside him, whose expression conveys a hint of disdain, remains a mystery. This figure might be one of the other court painters, such as Alejandro de la Cruz or Gregorio Ferro, both of whom were held in low regard by Goya.

Symbolism and Enigmas

The painting raises numerous questions. Why does Don Luis, seated at the card table, appear indifferent to the events around him? What is the significance of the expressions and gestures of the male figures? What time of day is it? The painting is imbued with mysteries that lend it an obsessive and hypnotic aura.

The candle on the card table, seemingly precariously balanced on two legs, is the only visible light source. It may hold symbolic meaning beyond providing illumination. The Infante owned several works by French Caravaggisti painters in which candles are prominent as light sources. Goya might have alluded to this particular collecting preference. Additionally, the candle could symbolize vanitas, an allusion to the brevity of life, reflecting the Infante’s mood given his advanced age, fragile health, and age disparity with his young wife.

That Don Luis plays cards alone is also unusual. Is he playing solitaire while waiting for Goya to begin painting, or do the cards hold a symbolic meaning? The cards are Spanish and include the Ace of Coins, the Knight of Clubs, and the Two of Clubs. In European art, card games often carry negative connotations, suggesting idleness or dissipation. However, the Ace of Coins, the strongest card in the Spanish deck, might signify some positive aspects of the Infante’s life, such as the beautiful family he had created. Furthermore, the Ace of Coins in 18th-century Spanish decks almost always bore the portrait of the King of Spain or a symbol of monarchy, possibly serving as a cryptic reference to the Infante’s royal lineage.

A Revolutionary Representation

The unusual setting of the painting raises further questions. The informal depiction of Don Luis and his entourage reflects the Enlightenment values gaining traction in Spain, particularly among the aristocracy and intellectual circles. Goya portrays the Infante’s household without the pomp and rigid hierarchy typical of aristocratic portraiture. Instead, Don Luis is shown surrounded by his family and servants in a domestic context. This approach aligns with the Enlightenment’s emphasis on realism and humanity.

The painting also embodies a subtle critique of traditional monarchical grandeur. By omitting elaborate architectural backdrops and downplaying the usual distinctions of rank, Goya provides an intimate portrayal that captures the Infante’s retreat into a simpler, secluded life. This domesticity may also reflect Don Luis’s personal preferences, shaped by his artistic and musical interests.

As Goya introduces a narrative tension through silent dialogues among the figures, the composition becomes a sophisticated example of a conversation piece or tableau vivant, a genre rarely seen in Spain. The informal atmosphere of the Infante’s court was noted by other visitors to Arenas de San Pedro, such as the Count of Fernán Núñez, who commented: “His Highness lived in Arenas as a simple man, and when guests paid their respects, they were invited to his table and could address him and his wife without titles.”

The painting thus also expresses the historical transition and secularization of monarchy. By placing aristocrats and commoners, children and adults, servants and administrators on the same plane, Goya challenges traditional distinctions. His composition mirrors the shifting social dynamics of pre-revolutionary Europe, blending innocence, disappointment, submission, and weariness in a tableau that feels like a commedia dell’arte.

Technical and Stylistic Innovations

From a technical perspective, the painting is highly significant. Don Luis and Goya shared a deep interest in precision and likeness. In 1774, an Englishman named Sykes demonstrated techniques for creating “perfect copies” to the Infante. Around the same time, Goya’s friend Ceán Bermúdez explored Velázquez’s use of the camera obscura to achieve immediacy and realism in his works. While no evidence confirms Goya employed such techniques, the immediacy and “snapshot” quality of this painting suggest he may have drawn on similar methods.

Using rapid brushstrokes, Goya painted with great freedom over a reddish-ochre ground, a technique reminiscent of Neapolitan painters like Bonito and Giaquinto, who had worked for the Spanish court. This ground is visible in areas where Goya softened shadows or contours, revealing his process to the viewer.

For the individual portraits within the composition, Goya likely relied on preparatory oil studies rather than sketches, as suggested by the apparent lack of preliminary drawings. This approach mirrors his later work on The Family of Charles IV (1800), for which he prepared individual studies for each figure before assembling the final composition.

Goya’s lighting choices are particularly striking. While the candle on the card table is the only visible light source, the absence of shadows on the figures (except Goya’s) suggests additional, hidden light sources. This discrepancy could indicate that each figure was painted separately and then incorporated into the overall composition. The final touches may have been added at night, resulting in the luminous figures standing out against the darkened room.

Artistic Influences

Stylistically, the painting reflects various influences. Goya’s simplification of the background and restrained color palette likely stemmed from Mengs’s theories, marking a pivotal stylistic shift for the artist. The figure of María Teresa may derive from Pompeo Batoni’s Portrait of Girolama Santacroce as Vanitas (c. 1760), suggesting Goya was inspired by the revolutionary idea of portraying a royal woman in her nightgown during a beauty routine.

The painting also draws upon Velázquez’s Las Meninas (1656), which Goya knew well, having created an engraving of it in 1778. Like Las Meninas, Goya includes himself in the scene, positioning himself as the Infante’s court painter, much as Velázquez was to Philip IV. However, Goya omits the key element of Velázquez’s masterpiece—the mirror—substituting it with the viewer’s perspective, thus shifting the interpretative focus.

Other possible influences include 18th-century English conversation pieces by artists like William Hogarth and Joseph Wright of Derby, whose use of chiaroscuro and intimate domestic settings may have informed Goya’s approach. Additionally, a mezzotint by Johann Jacob Haid depicting a card game in a dark room, or Benjamin West’s family portrait The Artist’s Family (1781), which circulated in Madrid, might have provided inspiration.

The Infante’s Decline and Legacy

Don Luis’s death on August 7, 1785, after months of illness, marked the end of an era. His family was dispersed; María Teresa was forbidden to see her children, and her daughters were sent to a convent near Toledo, while Luis María began training for an ecclesiastical career under Cardinal Lorenzana’s tutelage. María Teresa returned to Zaragoza with part of her late husband’s art collection, where she lived with her family until her death in 1820.

Goya remained in contact with the Infante’s children as they grew older, later portraying María Teresa as the Countess of Chinchón and Luis María as Cardinal-Archbishop of Toledo, reflecting their contrasting destinies.

Stefano Roffi
Scientific director of Magnani-Rocca