1675 · Private collection

Charles II, King of Spain (1661-1700) is portrayed here at the age of about 14. Carreo was appointed 'Pintor de Cámara' in 1671 and for the remainder of the decade painted several portraits of the young King in this precise pose, documenting his growing stature through adolescence. Until 1675 Charles is always depicted, as here, in the Salón de los Espejos in the Alcázar, where Carreo had worked in 1659 under the supervision of Velázquez; his left hand resting his hat on the table-top and his right hand loosely holding a letter.