Equestrian portraits (1634-36)

Five equestrian portraits, those of Philip III, Queen Margarita, Isabella of Bourbon, Philip IV, and Prince Baltasar Carlos, belonged to the colossal decorative scheme of the Hall of the Realms in the Buen Retiro Palace. The scheme was organized by the Count-Duke of Olivares, with the aim of affirming the glory of the Spanish Monarchy during what was in fact a period of decline.

Velázquez's most impressive equestrian portrait, however, did not depict any member of the royal family but took as its subject Count-Duke of Olivares on Horseback. Olivares, the most powerful man in the kingdom, expressed his sense of his own dignity by having himself painted on horseback, an honour usually accorded only to ruling heads of state.