View source for Charles IV in his Hunting Clothes

{{Short description|1799 painting by Francisco Goya}}
{{Infobox Artwork
| image_file=Carlos IV vestido de cazador.jpg
| image_upright=1.2
| title=Charles IV in his Hunting Clothes
| other_language_1=[[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| other_title_1=Carlos IV vestido de cazador
| artist=[[Francisco Goya]]
| year=1799
| medium=Oil on canvas
| height_metric=210
| width_metric=130
| metric_unit=cm
| imperial_unit=in
| museum=[[Royal Palace of Madrid]]
| city=[[Madrid]]
}}

'''''Charles IV in his Hunting Clothes''''' is an oil on canvas painting of 1799 by the [[Spain|Spanish]] artist [[Francisco Goya]], the second of his two portraits of King [[Charles IV of Spain]].<ref>Boime, 332</ref> 

[[File:Tizian 081.jpg|upright|thumb|right|[[Titian]]'s ''Portrait of Charles V with a dog'', 1533]]
While Goya devotes a great deal of attention to his depiction of the king's sash and cloth, he emphasises his weakness in his rendering of a near-portly belly and indecisive stare. The art critic [[Robert Hughes (critic)|Robert Hughes]] describes a "big nosed face, framed in the tricorned hat like the head of an affable turtle poking from its shell".<ref name="H146">Hughes, 146</ref>  It is part of the [[Patrimonio Nacional|Spanish national collection]], now displayed in the [[Royal Palace of Madrid]].<ref>Where visits cover only a limited group of rooms, so it may not be possible to see it.</ref>

During his career, Goya depicted both [[Charles III of Spain|father]] and son in hunting dress. The inspiration for the older man's outfit is probably taken from [[Diego Velázquez|Velázquez]]'s portrait of [[Philip IV of Spain|Philip IV]], which the artist would have the opportunity to see as then court painter. Goya pays tribute to [[Titian]]'s  ''[[Portrait of Charles V with a dog]]'' by depicting a dog loyally sniffing at the royal crotch.<ref name="H147">Hughes, 147</ref>

==Goya and the Bourbon kings==
Goya had earlier been court painter to [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]], who was widely viewed as the more astute political operator of the pair. While not lacking intelligence, Carlos IV is broadly seen as an idler compared to his father; ultimately, he was outmanoeuvred by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] at a time when he was more interested in sport and hunting than affairs of state.

Goya had painted Charles III in 1780, when the artist himself was a young man.<ref name="H146"/> Although few of his thoughts survive for art historians, it is generally believed that the sentiment of later works such as ''[[Charles IV of Spain and His Family]]'' lend credence to the theory that he held his weakling King in little regard. Charles IV is rendered as portly and slightly confused, seemingly more suited to the role of a country gentleman than a regal, absolute head of state.

==Notes==
{{reflist|1}}

==Sources==
* Boime. Albert. ''Art in an age of [[Bonapartism]], 1800-1815''. Chicago University Press, 1993. {{ISBN|0-226-06336-4}}
* Connell, Evan S. ''Francisco Goya: A Life''. New York: Counterpoint, 2004. {{ISBN|1-58243-307-0}}
* Hagen, Rose-Marie & Hagen, Rainer. ''Francisco Goya, 1746-1828''. [[Taschen]], 2003. {{ISBN|3-8228-1823-2}}
* [[Robert Hughes (critic)|Hughes, Robert]]. ''Goya''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. {{ISBN|0-394-58028-1}}

==External links==
*{{commons-inline}}

{{Francisco Goya}}
{{ACArt|country=ES}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlos IV in his Hunting Clothes}}
[[Category:1799 paintings]]
[[Category:Portraits by Francisco Goya]]
[[Category:18th-century portraits]]
[[Category:Charles IV of Spain]]
[[Category:Portraits of the Spanish royal family]]
[[Category:Paintings of dogs]]
[[Category:Paintings in the Royal Palace of Madrid]]
[[Category:Oil on canvas paintings]]