Norton Simon Museum to Showcase Rare Velázquez Portrait on West Coast

Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena will exhibit Diego Velázquez’s “Queen Mariana of Austria” from Dec. 13 through Mar. 24, 2025, marking the painting’s first-ever West Coast debut. This nearly life-size portrait, on loan from Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, is considered one of Velázquez’s most accomplished works.

Painted between 1652 and 1653, the portrait depicts the 18-year-old monarch in full Spanish court regalia, including a luxurious black and silver dress over a “guardainfante,” a quintessential element of Spanish fashion, so-called because its dramatically wide hips could mask pregnancy.

The young queen, who had recently given birth, gazes out with a somber expression, contrasting with her elaborate costume. This portrait was Velázquez’s first major composition after returning to Madrid from several years in Rome.

The exhibition, titled “Mariana: Velázquez’s Portrait of a Queen from the Museo Nacional del Prado,” showcases the artist’s focus on women and children in his later career. It also highlights his evolving style, characterized by sensitivity and a new flair for color.

Chief Curator Emily Talbot and Associate Curator Maggie Bell have organized the exhibition, which will feature complementary works from Norton Simon’s collection. Paintings by Nicolas Poussin, Guido Reni, and Peter Paul Rubens will be displayed alongside the Velázquez portrait.

Norton Simon aims to recreate the artistic environment of the Habsburg court, where Queen Mariana would have been surrounded by remarkable works. An adjacent gallery will showcase paintings by Jusepe de Ribera, Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo, and Francisco de Zurbarán.

This loan is part of a new exchange partnership between Norton Simon and the Museo Nacional del Prado. Earlier this year, Norton Simon lent Zurbarán’s “Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose” to the Prado.

Signed works by Velázquez are exceedingly rare and appear in only a handful of American institutions. The Prado possesses a remarkable 48 paintings by Velázquez, nearly 40 percent of the artist’s extant body of work. The “Queen Mariana of Austria” portrait was last exhibited in the United States at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1989.

Norton Simon Museum will offer a range of special events to accompany the exhibition, including a lecture series and musical performances co-organized with Spain Arts + Culture. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.