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El ámbito Patrimonio Nacional adquiere. Patrimonio Nacional restaura continúa exponiendo novedades en el ámbito ubicado en la planta - 2 de la Galería de Colecciones Reales, ya que el fin de este nuevo espacio expositivo es dar a conocer las últimas incorporaciones de bienes culturales a las Colecciones Reales, así como explicar el trabajo que los talleres de restauración realizan sobre las colecciones para devolverlas a su aspecto original y garantizar su conservación para el disfrute de las generaciones venideras.
Patrimonio Nacional acquires
In February 2025, Patrimonio Nacional acquired a portrait of King Ferdinand VII depicted in the uniform of a Captain-General, executed by Vicente López Portaña (1772–1850). Formerly in a private collection and recently exported to the United States, this significant painting has now been returned to Spain’s public collections.
Vicente López, the first court painter, portrayed the monarch with his characteristic realism and meticulous attention to detail, depicting the uniform and the furnishings of the chamber with remarkable precision. This official portrait incorporates all the symbols of royal power: the crown resting on the ermine mantle, the staff of command and the throne, together with the insignia of the Golden Fleece and the grand crosses and sashes of the Orders of Charles III, Isabella the Catholic and Saint Ferdinand, completing the royal image.
Compared with López’s large-scale works, the brushwork remains clearly visible, revealing a freer technique closer to that of his preparatory sketches. The quality and richness of his colour are particularly striking, lending the painting warmth and sumptuousness. The portrait can be dated to 1823–1825, when López still held a prominent position at court, directing decorative projects in the royal palaces and serving as the king’s most favoured portraitist.
Patrimonio Nacional restores
One example of this work can be seen in the comprehensive restoration currently underway in the Dormition Chapel at the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, where an Apostolado (a set of apostles) accompanies the Virgin of the Dormition, recreating the scene described in the apocryphal Gospels. These sculptures, considered to be Spanish—possibly Andalusian—works from the late 17th or early 18th century, have undergone extensive restoration, revealing the original polychromy and the meticulous estofado decoration (paint etched through to reveal the underlying gold), previously hidden beneath a thick layer of oxidised varnish and grime. This careful process has made it possible to rediscover the original richness of colour and the expressiveness of the faces, enabling further study of the work’s authorship and origin.
