Portrait of Ferdinand VI, King of Spain, when he was Prince of Asturias

This portrait of Ferdinand VI (1713–59), the king of Spain between 1746 and 1759, was painted in 1731 while he was still a prince. The future monarch is depicted standing and wearing an embroidered dress coat, a steel breastplate, an Order of the Holy Spirit sash, and a Golden Fleece scallop. In his right hand he holds a command flare.

Ferdinand VI inherited the throne from his father Philip V in 1746. He had a peace-loving character and once the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed in 1748, he avoided any alliances that might lead to war. During his reign he managed to strike a balance between an independent foreign policy and promoting a domestic policy based on trade, industry, and science. The navy benefited from this domestic policy as it was able to improve the Naval Station of La Carraca (San Fernando, Cádiz) and make significant progress on the new naval bases in Cartagena and Ferrol.

The portrait was painted by Frenchman Jean Ranc (1674–1735), who came to serve in the French court with the help of his teacher, Hyacinthe Rigaud. Thanks to Rigaud, Ranc was able to paint various members of the French royal family until Philip V requested that he go to Spain, arriving in Madrid in 1722, where he painted many portraits of the Spanish royal family including this one of future king Ferdinand VI.