Portrait of a lady of the House of Medinaceli

The Medinaceli collection contains two female portraits painted by Juan Carreño Miranda that are very similar in composition, quality, beauty and size. Both have a very similar range of colours, with a predominance of dark tones, among which the delicate whiteness of the puffed sleeves stands out, contrasting with the brightness of the black velvet strips and the flowers adorning their hairstyles. For Alfonso Pérez Sánchez (1986, p. 216), this is "one of the most pleasing images among the many female portraits painted by Carreño" and "a superb example of the painter's mastery and assurance in interpreting the refined fashion of around 1660-70". It has traditionally been identified with one of the daughters of the 8th Duke of Medinaceli, but this dating makes it necessary to investigate within the previous generation.