Portrait of Diego de Villamayor

Juan Pantoja de la Cruz worked at the court of Philip II and Philip III. His work laid the foundations of the aristocratic portrait in Spain. In his formal depictions of people, the artist managed to convey not only a superficial resemblance, but also the character of his subjects.
The Hermitage painting is most probably of Diego Sarimento, the son of a close associate of the King who was commander of the Order of Alcántara. Diego’s mother was the governess of the Infanta Margarita. According to the dates on the canvas, the young man was 27 years old at the time his portrait was painted. Later he became the King’s chamberlain, a member of the Council of War and Commissar General of the Spanish armed forces.
In keeping with the tradition of the day, Diego is depicted in knightly armour and you will inevitably notice the way his dress is presented down to the finest detail.
The magnificence of the outfit is intended to invest the youthful figure with grandeur, but it is immediately clear that he actually bears little resemblance to a warrior. The artist depicted the young man’s hands and his head lost amid the lace ruff in such a way that behind the heavy plate armour we can easily divine a delicate sickly physique.