D. Catarina of Austria, Queen of Portugal

This painting represent Catarina of Austria, Queen of Portugal (1507-1578), daugther of Filipe and Joana
of Castela, and sister of Emperor Carlos V. The Queen is represented half body
and at three quarters, on a dark background with a facial expression of austere posture. Catarina of Austria
is represented richly dressed, with a dress of black velvet, embroidered in golf thread, with a coif of her head
a tiara of pearls and gold and pearls earrings. This royal portraid correspond to the usual models
originally defined by portraits by the Master António Moro (Prado Museum, Madrid) who, in 1552
came to Portugal to create a oficial image of the Portuguese Sovereings, prototype portraits
from each replicas were made when necessary for political or diplomatic proposes. Cristóvão Lopes, sun of
Gregório Lopes and his sucessor in charge of royal paintings from 1550, is the most indicated as
the author of the referred replicas (there is another portrait of King John III) of Antonio Moro´s portraits by
Portuguese Historiography. enabling him to have been the author of these portraits,
even though authorship is not of great relevance in this case given the way the
painter had to make na effort to reproduce the model of António Moro.