The greatest painter in history.
The intrigues of a court.
The truth of a kingdom.

“A renewed voice bursting into Spanish historical fiction with strength and vigor.”

In a court rife with scandals, a young man from Seville obsessed with light manages to become not only a court painter, but the most important artist in Spain’s history.

How did Velázquez become the king’s painter?

17th century. Velázquez’s entry into the royal palace took place during one of the most fascinating moments in history. While Queen Isabel suffers for being unable to provide an heir to the throne, Philip IV spends his nights in amorous escapades known throughout the kingdom.

The accumulation of political and marital tensions leads the court into a sinister labyrinth of intrigue, while the king listens only to the advice of one man: the mysterious and shadowy Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, who helps Velázquez secure the position of court painter.

Like a canvas, in Portrait of a Court Clara Mendívil portrays the effervescence of a kingdom. Through the lives of Diego Velázquez and Juana Pacheco, and their journey from Seville to Habsburg Madrid, the author reveals the adventures taking place behind palace doors—adventures that could change the course of history.