Study from Life for the Portrait of King Alfonso XIII

Alfonso XIII ascended the Spanish throne in 1902 at age sixteen, and Ramon Casas was among the artists commissioned for preparatory portrait studies in anticipation of the official portraits required by a new reign. A study from life for such a portrait was a prestigious commission, reflecting Casas's standing as Spain's most fashionable portraitist of the period. The young king's portrait presented the challenge of conveying royal authority in an adolescent face, and this life study presumably fed into a more elaborated official composition. The work is held at the Palace of Albéniz in Barcelona.

As a study from life rather than a finished portrait, the handling is direct and exploratory. Casas concentrates on the face with precise, controlled brushwork, establishing the essential character that would inform the final composition. The rest is broadly indicated; a dark ground provides tonal reference.