Portrait of Isabel II as Countess of Barcelona

This full-length official portrait of Queen Isabel II was probably based on a photograph by Charles Clifford taken in 1860. The photographer accompanied the Queen during a trip to Barcelona, one of several visits done in an effort to gain the public's favor, given that many questioned her legitimacy. Federico Madrazo, her official chamber painter and director of the Museo del Prado at the time, completed this portrait in his studio. Isabel II wears a countess' coronet rather than a royal crown, which served as a reference to the province of Cataluña's history, a propagandistic move that proved successful in the press.