Explore the Background of this artwork.
Mariana was born on 21 December 1634 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, as the second child of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Anna of Spain, the sister of Philip IV of Spain. Maria had six children, of whom only Mariana and two sons survived into adulthood: Ferdinand (1633–1654), and Leopold (1640–1705), who became emperor in 1658. Philip's first wife, Elizabeth of France, died aged 41 in 1644. Their only son, Balthasar Charles, died of smallpox in October 1646, just a few months after his betrothal to Mariana, then 13. His death left the Spanish king heirless.
Realising that the hegemony of the Habsburg dynasty was at stake, Philip proposed marriage to Mariana, his niece. Mariana was described by art historian Rose-Marie Hagen as a "ruddy-cheeked, naive girl who loved a good laugh", and her day-to-day courtly duties came to weigh heavily on her, not least the pressure to produce a male heir.The marriage was initially viewed as a success by the royal court when Mariana gave birth to a daughter, the Infanta Margaret Theresa. They also had two sons: Felipe Próspero was the original heir to the throne, but died in 1661 aged 3 years; Charles, the future Charles II of Spain, was born later that year.Mariana had a difficult life. She and Philip did not know each other before their marriage, and found little in common. The marriage presented many difficulties for the royal court. He was over 40, she was 19, and her bid to provide Philip with a male heir in a family whose sons tended to be sickly, included several false hopes and miscarriages. When Philip died in 1665 she became regent for Charles, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. Charles was infirm throughout his life, suffering from mental and physical disabilities, and the Spanish monarchy allowed women to play a powerful role in government, so Mariana was able to dominate the political life of Spain until her own death in 1696.
hegemony Infanta Margaret Theresa Ferdinand Leopold mental and physical Maria Anna of Spain Wiener Neustadt Habsburg Balthasar Charles Charles II of Spain betrothal Felipe Próspero Spanish smallpox royal court Spanish Habsburg Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor regent left Habsburg dynasty Philip IV of Spain Elizabeth of France