Infante Philipp Prosper

Philip Prosper (1657–1661), a son of King Philip IV, was a delicate and sickly child. The hope that was placed at that time in the sole heir to the Spanish crown is reflected in the depiction: fresh red and white stand in contrast to late autumnal, morbid colours. A small dog with wide eyes looks at the viewer as if questioningly, and the largely pale background hints at a gloomy fate: the little prince was barely four years old when he died.